Written Answers of 13 July 1995

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Paper Week Exhibition (Upper Waiting Hall)
  Sir Roger Moate
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to paper week to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 30 October to Friday 3 November 1995.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Rainbow Warrior (French Attack)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the French Government about the attack on the Rainbow Warrior; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy in respect of this incident. [34156]

  Mr. David Davis
  No representations have been made to the French Government about the Rainbow Warrior action. We have however reminded the French authorities of their obligations in respect of any UK nationals who might be detained.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the intergovernmental conference reflections group to discuss the reform of the common agricultural policy. [33609]

  Mr. David Davis
  The IGC study group has not yet discussed the common agricultural policy, and may not do so in any details. The 1992 MacSharry reforms demonstrated that the problems of the CAP stem less from the provisions of the treaty than from the policy which has been developed on the basis of those provisions. We shall continue to work for reform of the CAP in the appropriate fora.

  Embassies (Vehicles)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 July,Official Report, column 326, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures for vehicles bought for posts abroad, specifying where possible the post and type of vehicle. [34290]

  Mr. Hanley
  I shall arrange for the information requested to be placed in the Library of the House shortly.

  Consulates and Embassies (South Pacific)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the United Kingdom consulates and embassies in the south Pacific region, indicating the number of diplomatic staff employed at each location(a) currently and (b) 10 years ago. [34186]

  Mr. Hanley
  The number of UK-based staff slots at each post in the south Pacific region is as follows:

  Post

  1995

  1985

  Canberra

  28

  48

  Sydney

  4

  4

  Perth

  2

  2

  Brisbane

  2

  2

  Melbourne

  2

  2

  Wellington

  14

  15

  Auckland

  2

  4

  Port Moresby

  4

  4

  Suva

  4

  6

  Nuku'Alofa

  2

  2

  Vila

  2

  2

  Honiara

  2

  2

  Tarawa

  0

  1

  Mrs. Quereshi Bibi
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of the Secretary of State for the Home Department of 29 June,Official Report, column 765, when a decision is to be taken by the post in Islamabad, in the case of Mrs. Quereshi Bibi—ref. BV100/25109; and if he will make a statement. [34319]

  Mr. Hanley
  I have asked the high commission at Islamabad for details and will arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit as soon as possible.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which firms have won computer consultancy contracts from his Department and its agencies over the last five years; and what is the number of contracts per firm. [33893]

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: The FCO is involved in a number of strategic projects to develop and enhance its communications and information handling facilities. As such, it has dealt with many different software suppliers and consultants. The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department and its agencies have spent on computer consultancy in each of the last five years; and what is the expected expenditure over the next five years. [33862]
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  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: The FCO spend on computer consultancy over the last five years was:

  1990–91: £3,985,000

  1991–92: £4,074,000

  1992–93: £4,527,000

  1993–94: £5,076,000

  1994–95: £4,984,000

  1995–96: £6,300,000

  1996–97: £6,100,000

  1997–98: £5,700,000

  1998–99: £5,700,000

  1999–2000: £6,000,000

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Land Registry
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the outcome of the triennial review of Her Majesty's Land Registry. [34822]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Her Majesty's Land Registry, a separate department of Government since 1862, was established as an executive agency in July 1990 and a Government trading fund in April 1993. Under its statutory powers it guarantees and grants legal title to property rights in England and Wales and provides the statutory machinery for the creation and transfer of these secured rights. The department, wholly financed from fees paid by those using its services, makes no call on public funds.

  An evaluation report, the results of which were made known to the House on 14 July 1994, concluded that the Land Registry had benefited considerably from its move to agency status. It had been a major enabling factor in promoting sound public sector management. By the achievement of progressively improving performance targets and a successful computerisation programme, the Land Registry has made a major contribution to the simplification of conveyancing in England and Wales, particularly through the development of faster and easier access to the public land register. It reduced fees by 10.6 per cent. in October 1994.

  In order to supplement this evaluation, consultants were appointed to carry out a "prior options" review to consider a range of options for involving the private sector in delivering the services provided by the Land Registry. They confirmed that the present status arrangements would ensure the continuing credibility of the Land Registry consistent with a cost effective, high-quality service likely to result in lower land registration fees to the public.

  The consultants identified scope for private sector partnerships in a number of important Land Registry initiatives. This includes further development of electronic access to the public land register, taking forward the national land information system promoted by the citizen's charter, and the potential conversion of the title plans of England and Wales to computer format. Consultants also saw scope for the Land Registry, in partnership, providing specialist advice to those overseas Governments seeking to establish stable private property
  686
  rights, secured lending and inexpensive systems of property transfer.

  The Lord Chancellor has concluded that it is right for Her Majesty's Land Registry to continue as an executive agency and trading fund. The Land Registry will concentrate on its existing plans to further simplify and reduce the cost of conveyancing in England and Wales by meeting the financial, productivity and developmental targets set for the next five years and by continuing its full market testing programme, all set out in its corporate and efficiency plans. The registry will also actively pursue private sector partnerships for the important initiatives identified. It will continue to capitalise on the scope for contracting out where this contributes to its strategic aims and objectives. A new framework document is being drawn up to cover the next five years and on completion will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much he estimates it will cost to extend legal aid to qualifying persons bringing personal injury claims up to the value of £10,000 on the proposed civil litigation fasttrack. [34245]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Until there has been an opportunity for the Lord Chancellor to consider the proposals in greater detail, it will not be possible to make an assessment of the potential cost or savings to the legal aid fund.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much he expects the Legal Aid Board to save if children are no longer able to be parties to legal actions brought on their behalf against the decisions of local education authorities. [34242]

  Mr. Taylor
  No estimate has been made.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what factors led to the delay in the Legal Aid Board sanctioning of funds for the appeal to the High Court in the case of Emma Van de Velde v. Special Needs Tribunal. [34246]

  Mr. Taylor
  The administration of civil legal aid is the responsibility of the Legal Aid Board. However, I understand that both of Miss Van de Velde's applications were dealt with promptly by the board; the first within 12 working days, and the second, for an emergency certificate, within 24 hours.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to(a) estimate and (b) publish the potential cost savings to the legal aid fund to be made from raising the upper limit on small claims from £1,000 to £3,000. [34243]

  Mr. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor has announced his intention to implement Lord Woolf's recommendations that the small claims limit should be raised to £3,000 for all claims except those for personal injury. Lord Woolf's recommendations is based on the desirability of making the less formal and more affordable small claims procedure available to more litigants. There are likely to be some small savings to the legal aid fund from increasing the limit. The level of such savings is still being assessed. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is completed.

  Civil Justice Reform
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing Lord Woolf's proposals for civil justice reform, with particular reference to(a) those relating to the greater use of information technology by judges and the Court Service, (b) a greater case management role for judges, (c) the appointment of a head of civil justice and (d) enhanced judicial training. [34244]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Until there has been an opportunity for the Lord Chancellor to consider the proposals in greater detail, it will not be possible to provide any cost estimates.

  Courts Agency
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average time his Department took to respond to a letter from an hon. Member before the establishment of the Courts Agency; and what is the average time taken by the agency to respond to a letter from an hon. Member in the first three months of its operation. [33166]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested in the first part of the question could not be provided without disproportionate cost. However I refer the hon. Member to the Official Report for 18 April 1995, column 22 in which the Under-Secretary of State at the Office of Public Service and Science, replying to a question from the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Dover) said that in 1994, my Department replied to 83 per cent. of correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members within its 20 working day target. The second part of the question, concerning the average time taken by the Court Service to respond to a letter from an hon. Member, concerns a specific operational question upon which the chief executive of the court service is best placed to reply. I have accordingly asked him to do so.

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Chris Mullin, dated 13 July 1995:

  RESPONSES TO MP'S CORRESPONDENCE
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question concerning the time taken to reply to correspondence from Members of Parliament.
  From the latest information available I am able to let you know that the average time taken to reply to a letter from a Member of Parliament was 22 days. I understand that a separate response is being provided by the Parliamentary Secretary about correspondence dealt with by his office.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Staff Shareholdings
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many staff in his Department or its agencies have(a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years, indicating the companies concerned.

  Mr. Newton
  The answer in both cases is none.

  Deputy Prime Minister
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what will be the involvement of the Deputy Prime Minister in the work of his office.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 11 July,Official Report, column 496–97.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list(a) details of all overseas trips made by him, or ministerial colleagues in his Department, paid for wholly or partly from public funds and (b) the purpose, destination and duration of such overseas trips, which officials accompanied him and the total cost in each case, including that of officials, to public funds for each year since 1992.

  Mr. Newton
  I visited Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong from 5 to 24 September 1992. The principal purpose of the visits to Australia and New Zealand was to meet my counterparts and to exchange experience in the field of procedural reforms, preparation and scrutiny of legislation etc. The principal purpose of the visit to Hong Kong was to study measures against drug misuse, in the context of my chairmanship of the Ministerial Committee on Drug Misuse; this visit was however curtailed by the recall of Parliament that year. The only official accompanying me was a private secretary. The cost to public funds was £20,904.

  My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Wakeham, when Lord Privy Seal, visited Dubai from 24 to 26 April 1994 to open the "Britain in the Gulf' exhibition. The only official accompanying him was a private secretary. The cost to public funds was £2,619.

  My right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Privy Seal accompanied His Royal Highness the Duke of York to the French Government's 50th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of southern France from 13 to 15 August 1994. The only official accompanying him was a private secretary. Travel was in an aircraft of the queen's flight. There was no further cost to public funds.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Commodity Exchanges
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance has been given by(a) his Department and (b) EU aid to establish or develop commodity exchanges for cocoa, coffee or sugar in developing countries; and if he will list the date, location and value of any aid projects of this type approved by his Department or the EU in the past five years. [34301]

  Mr. Hanley
  We have supported a number of commodity-based projects in developing countries, bilaterally, through the EC and through the common fund for commodities. The objectives have included assistance with production, diversification and marketing, but the development of commodity exchanges in developing countries has not, to date, been one of our principal aims.
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  A list of bilateral projects and those supported through the command fund for commodities in the field is being placed in the Library of the House. We are investigating whether a similar list exists for EC-funded projects.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Sex Shops and Cinemas
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all legislation under which unauthorised sex shops and sex cinemas can be prosecuted; and how many prosecutions under each provision there have been in the last five years. [32966]

  Mr. Maclean
  The legislation under which unauthorised sex shops and sex cinemas can be prosecuted is the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. The relevant provisions are as follows:Schedule 3, paragraph 20(a), (b), (c) and (d)—offences relating to operating a sex establishment without or in contravention of the terms of a licence.
  Schedule 3, paragraph 21—making a false statement in a connection with the application, renewal or transfer of a licence.
  Under Schedule 3, paragraph 22(1) a person guilty of an offence under paragraphs 20 or 21 shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20,000.
  Under schedule 3, paragraph 22(2) a person who fails to comply with paragraph 14(1) (display of copy of licence and standard conditions) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
  Schedule 3, paragraph 23—offences relating to the admission or employment of persons under 18. A person guilty of an offence under this paragraph shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20,000.
  Schedule 3, paragraph 24(6)—refusal to permit a constable or authorised local authority officer to exercise powers provided under paragraph 24. For every such refusal a person shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

  In 1989, there was one prosecution under schedule 3 paragraph 20(a) of the Act. However it should be noted that statistics of court proceedings are based on returns made by the police to the Home Office and although these include offences where there has been no police involvement, such as those prosecutions instigated by Government Departments, local authorities, as in this case, and private organisations and individuals, the reporting of these types of offences is known to be incomplete.

  Information collected from 1990 onwards does not identify individual offences committed under this specific Act from other summary offences.

  Money Laundering
  Mrs. Barbara Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many officers in each police service are devoted to investigating reports from banks of possible money laundering. [33119]

  (2) how many reports the National Criminal Intelligence Service received from banks about possible money laundering in each of the last three years; [33120]
  690
  (3) what has been the average length of time taken over the last year (a) for NCIS to respond to reports of banks' suspicions of money laundering and pass the information on to individual police forces and (b) for individual police forces to investigate such reports; [33121]

  (4) how many staff at NCIS are currently employed in responding to banks' suspicions of money laundering; [33122]

  (5) what resources NCIS has invested in investigating money laundering in each of the last three years. [33123]

  Mr. Maclean
  Investigation of possible cases of money laundering is a matter primarily for the police and HM Customs and Excise. The role of the financial intelligence and money laundering section of the National Criminal Intelligence Service is to research and develop disclosures made to it and to enhance their intelligence value before dissemination to the appropriate law enforcement agency. The cost of the section is estimated as:

  1993–94: £450,000

  1994–95: £460,000

  1995–96: £530,000 (estimated)

  As at 1 July 1995, there were 13 staff employed in the section.

  The number of disclosures received by NCIS from banks and other financial institutions in each of the last three years is as follows:

  1992: 11,542

  1993: 12,736

  1994: 15,007

  It is estimated that the average time taken by the NCIS to process financial disclosures during 1994 was 12 weeks. This has now been reduced to 20 working days.

  Information with regard to the average time taken by police forces to process such reports is not collected.

  I understand that there are about 360 trained financial investigation officers in police forces in England and Wales. Other officers will be involved in financial investigations at different times.

  Transport of Prisoners (Securicor)
  Mrs. Barbara Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what has been the total time by which court proceedings have been delayed because of late delivery of prisoners by Securicor to courts in London; [32536]

  (2) what has been the cost to public funds of delays to court proceedings caused by late delivery of prisoners by Securicor to courts in London; [32538]

  (3) what sanctions he has in respect of Securicor's failure to deliver prisoners to the Court of Appeal on time; and what action he plans to take; [32540]

  (4) how many prisoners Securicor has escorted to court since the service was contracted out; and how many of these have been delivered to court late, or within so little time to spare that court proceedings have been delayed. [32542]
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  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 6 July 1995]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 13 July 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the delivery of prisoners to courts in London by Securicor Custodial Services Ltd.
  Between the start of the contract on 27 June 1994 and 31 May 1995 Securicor escorted 52,422 prisoners to court. Of this total 1,520 prisoners (2.9%) were delivered late for reasons within Securicor's control. Prisoners may also be delivered late to court for reasons that are outside Securicor's control. Under the terms of the contract, a late delivery occurs if a prisoner arrives at a court less than 30 minutes before the court starts sitting.
  Securicor is meeting the performance target set out in the contract for delivering prisoners to court. If they fail to do so, default notices may be issued and financial remedies applied if performance does not improve. Ultimately, as with all contracts, the contract may be terminated. Since 20 June the latest time prisoners arrived at the Court of Appeal was 9.07 am. The contractual requirement is that they arrive by 9.30 am.
  It is not possible to say by how much court proceedings have been delayed as a result of prisoners arriving late at court or how much any such delays may have cost. Not all cases at court involving prisoners begin at the same time and not all courts hear custody cases first.
  You may be interested to know that in a recent survey, 86% of customers (the courts, the police and the prisons in London) were either satisfied or very satisfied with Securicor's punctuality and flexibility. In addition, 97% of court staff felt that Securicor were providing an equal (28%) or better (69%) service than they received before.

  Overseas Domestic Workers
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action he has taken to monitor the workings of the new undertaking employers are required to sign when bringing their overseas domestic workers into the United Kingdom; [33991]

  (2) what action he has taken to monitor the workings of the new undertaking employers are required to sign when bringing their overseas domestic workers into Scotland. [33992]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Employers are required to sign an undertaking to maintain and accommodate their domestic workers satisfactorily, including the provision of a separate bedroom, when applications for entry clearance are made. In the case of domestic workers who come for longer than a visit, when applications for further leave to remain are made, inquiries are made that the conditions of the scheme, including adequate maintenance and accommodation, continue to be met.

  Firearms
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 July,Official Report, columns 349–50 if he will give details of each of the incidents involving a reactivated firearm. [34238]

  Mr. Maclean
  I am now aware of 20 incidents since the beginning of 1993. I understand that two were murders, seven others resulted in a non-fatal injury and four involved shots being fired, apparently without causing injury, in the course of crime. In the remaining 692
  seven incidents, there was no injury or evidence that they were associated with any other crime. Twelve of the incidents are reported as having taken place in the Greater Manchester police force area, two each in Mersyside, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands and one each in Lancashire and the Metropolitan police district.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many homicides involving(a) shotguns and (b) other firearms have taken place in each police force area in each of the last five years; and how many of the victims in each case were women; [34157]

  (2) how many thefts of (a) shotguns and (b) other firearms took place in each of the last five years, (i) from domestic premises and (ii) from other premises in each police force area. [34158]

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not immediately available and I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will lay before Parliament the sixth annual report of the Firearms Consultative Committee. [34716]

  Mr. Howard
  I have today placed a copy of the annual report of the Firearms Consultative Committee in the Library.

  Mrs. Rehana Fiaz
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the United Kingdom post in Islamabad asked the Home Office to arrange for the sponsor of Mrs. Rehana Fiaz (Ref.GV 100/27227) to be interviewed; where and when the interview is to take place; and if he will make a statement. [34300]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The request from the British high commission in Islamabad for an interview of Mrs. Rehana Fiaz's sponsor was received by the Home Office on 15 December 1994. Arrangements have been made to interview the sponsor on 8 August at the immigration office at Leeds/Bradford airport.

  Pre-trial Procedures (High Court)
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals the Government have to improve pre-trial procedures in the Crown Court. [34715]

  Mr. Howard
  The Government share the view of the Royal Commission on criminal justice that further measures are needed to improve the effectiveness of pre-trial hearings in the Crown Court, to enable issues to be clarified and resolved in advance of the trial.

  To achieve this, we propose providing for a power for judges to make binding rulings before the start of the trial, and for an extension of the existing system of preparatory hearings, currently held in serious fraud cases, to other potentially long or complex cases. These proposals are contained in a consultation paper on improving the effectiveness of pre-trial hearings in the Crown Court—which we are publishing today.

  Stolen Vehicles
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department are undertaking to limit the number of vehicles stolen. [33577]

  Mr. Maclean
  Vehicle crime decreased by almost 2 per cent. in 1993 and by 10 per cent. in 1994. This downward trend is encouraging and it would appear that the measures taken by the Department are having an effect.

  The Department is addressing vehicle crime in a number of ways, and the following are just a few examples of the work being done by the Home Office.

  The prevention of car crime was a central feature of our 1992 car crime prevention year campaign which showed what could be done if car owners, the police, motor manufacturers, the insurance industry, motoring organisations and car park operators made a concerted effort to tackle the problem together.

  The Home Office public relations branch produces a range of crime prevention advice leaflets covering crimes committed against different types of vehicles.

  Home Office Ministers have asked manufacturers to introduce effective immobilisation systems, deadlocking, and visible vehicle identification numbers; and the Home Office police scientific and development branch has provided free technical advice to manufacturers on how to do this.

  The Home Office has worked closely with the Department of Transport to ensure that the British standards on vehicle security we wanted were incorporated into the compulsory EC directive 74/61.

  The Department supports the work of SOLD SECURE, an Association of Chief Police Officers-backed organisation which tests the effectiveness of vehicle security devices for older cars and publicises details of approved products; and also the Vehicle Security Installation Board, which publishes lists of approved installers of security products.

  The Home Office also supports schemes designed to prevent young people turning to crime, and a great deal is being done in this area through motor projects and other diversionary schemes.

  The Home Office has already taken action to deal with offenders. The Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Act 1992 demonstrates our determination to deal with the menace posed by those who take cars and cause damage, injury or death.

  Work to reduce vehicle crime is informed by regular Home Office research; and is taken forward by the vehicle crime prevention group whose members are drawn from the police, motor manufacturers, dealers, the insurance industry, motoring organisations and Government Departments.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles were stolen in the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years. [33576]

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information relates to offences of theft of a motor vehicle recorded by the police in England and Wales. This information is published in table 2.19 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1993" (Cm 2680) and in table 6 of Home Office statistical 694
  bulletin 5/95; copies of both these publications are in the Library. Information on Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Secretary of State for each Department.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers have committed suicide in prisons or detention centres in each of the last three calendar years and in the current year to date; [33347]

  (2) how many asylum seekers are recorded as having committed suicide when not in detention, but after rejection of their asylum applications, in each of the last three calendar years and in the current year to date. [33348]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  No person who had sought asylum has committed suicide in a prison or detention centre in the last three calendar years or in the current year to date. Information is not available about people who have committed suicide after an application for asylum has been refused and who are not detained.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what method was used to monitor the results of the "No Self-Completion Questionnaire" exercise undertaken by the asylum division of his Department in recent months; what were the results of the exercise as regards time taken to process decisions and the quality of those decisions compared to cases dealt with under normal procedures; how many of the cases decided have been finally determined after appeals brought to the Immigration Appeals Authority; and if he will deposit a record on the exercise in the Library. [33346]

  Mr. Baker
  I am placing in the Library a brief report on this exercise; which includes details of the monitoring arrangements used. It produced a direct saving in the screening process for applications of between four and six weeks. All six appeals against refusal heard during the period of the exercise were dismissed: a further analysis will be carried out when more appeals have been heard.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33461]

  Mr. Howard
  Expenditure incurred on employing consultants was £2,160,000, excluding value added tax, in respect of the privatisation of National Transcommunications Ltd. and £784,000, excluding value added tax, in respect of the privatisation of DTELS—formerly the Home Office Directorate of Telecommunications.

  Police Driver Training
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount spent on driver training by each police force area in England and Wales for each year since 1990. [33487]

  Mr. Maclean
  Information collected centrally is related to the number of days spent on all aspects of driver and
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  traffic training, which includes training in matters such as traffic law, road safety, speed enforcement and accident investigation as well as driving courses. Details are set out in the table. Information about training costs is also given but is incomplete.

  Total training days—driver and traffic training

  Force

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Avon and Somerset

  6,710

  6,736

  6,829

  Bedfordshire

  2,562

  2,414

  2,555

  Cambridgeshire

  587

  1,074

  2,053

  Cheshire

  3,547

  1,843

  1,429

  City of London

  952

  697

  706

  Cleveland

  2,259

  743

  618

  Cumbria

  1,496

  1,383

  1,416

  Derbyshire

  4,511

  2,287

  2,795

  Devon and Cornwall

  3,652

  4,254

  3,648

  Dorset

  1,524

  1,804

  1,603

  Durham

  2,135

  2,643

  2,136

  Dyfed Powys

  1,614

  1,397

  1,746

  Essex

  6,535

  7,813

  7,840

  Gloucestershire

  1,762

  1,465

  1,282

  Greater Manchester

  12,431

  10,345

  9,062

  Gwent

  1,513

  1,291

  n/a

  Hampshire

  3,944

  3,407

  n/a

  Hertfordshire

  3,698

  2,160

  3,260

  Humberside

  2,490

  3,158

  —

  Kent

  4,620

  2,643

  3,008

  Lancashire

  2,675

  3,321

  3,003

  Leicestershire

  2,270

  3,011

  2,521

  Lincolnshire

  1,617

  1,675

  1,562

  Merseyside

  5,504

  6,608

  3,601

  Norfolk

  2,652

  2,406

  1,887

  Northamptonshire

  2,466

  2,389

  2,130

  Northumbria

  5,178

  4,410

  4,535

  North Wales

  1,351

  1,325

  1,101

  North Yorkshire

  2,345

  2,944

  2,754

  Nottinghamshire

  4,030

  3,151

  2,477

  South Wales

  2,490

  4,341

  4,982

  South Yorkshire

  3,756

  3,570

  4,396

  Staffordshire

  4,677

  4,982

  3,936

  Suffolk

  1,715

  2,115

  1,916

  Surrey

  2,889

  3,674

  —

  Sussex

  4,465

  6,843

  —

  Thames Valley

  7,948

  7,427

  5,585

  Warwickshire

  1,153

  1,678

  969

  West Mercia

  2,236

  3,375

  4,014

  West Midlands

  13,016

  9,980

  10,777

  West Yorkshire

  4,532

  4,304

  4,920

  Wiltshire

  2,771

  3,332

  2,638

  Metropolitan

  28,149

  31,783

  33,886

  Training costs—driver and traffic training

  £

  Force

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Avon and Somerset

  1,494,009

  1,321,638

  1,453,522

  Bedfordshire

  —

  590,523

  677,496

  Cambridgeshire

  —

  361.942

  524,857

  Cheshire

  509,266

  376,253

  330,990

  City of London

  —

  —

  —

  Cleveland

  467,000

  273,000

  —

  Cumbria

  305,436

  135,649

  259,091

  Derbyshire

  929,463

  —

  577,794

  Devon and Cornwall

  655,897

  855,765

  877,513

  Dorset

  —

  419,892

  —

  Durham

  —

  —

  —

  Dyfed Powys

  263,400

  231,600

  —

  Essex

  1,964,589

  1,300,000

  2,007,391

  Gloucestershire

  350,784

  293,538

  276,670

  Greater Manchester

  —

  1,251,773

  1,207,188

  696

  Training costs—driver and traffic training

  £

  Force

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Gwent

  287,498

  209,866

  —

  Hampshire

  —

  858,621

  1,114,196

  Hertfordshire

  —

  —

  —

  Humberside

  520,000

  258,000

  —

  Kent

  1,048,039

  875,336

  1,185,687

  Lancashire

  —

  914,666

  —

  Leicestershire

  253,713

  —

  405,623

  Lincolnshire

  —

  474,400

  —

  Merseyside

  1,594,039

  1,827,821

  1,413,639

  Norfolk

  571,500

  519,700

  453,800

  Northamptonshire

  —

  441,661

  431,128

  Northumbria

  —

  —

  968,752

  North Wales

  —

  —

  121,569

  North Yorkshire

  433,570

  533,890

  550,200

  Nottinghamshire

  —

  710,292

  —

  South Wales

  644,808

  840,145

  961.465

  South Yorkshire

  —

  —

  —

  Staffordshire

  441,759

  1,137,897

  535,668

  Suffolk

  553,462

  448

  456,012

  Surrey

  864,700

  969,000

  1,002,000

  Sussex

  503,000

  805,912

  —

  Thames Valley

  —

  1,761,828

  1,380,992

  Warwickshire

  166,314

  788,718

  249,693

  West Mercia

  596,616

  725,905

  897,038

  West Midlands

  3,020,332

  3,226,004

  2,989,280

  West Yorkshire

  1,674,900

  1,493,900

  1,561,300

  Wiltshire

  47,620

  303,448

  392,890

  Metropolitan

  —

  4,546,817

  —

  Figures for 1993–94 and 1994–95 are not yet available.

  Trucks (Policing)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed with the police(a) full time and (b) as part of their other duties to train traffic policemen in truck enforcement work. [33588]

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not available. Training for traffic officers concerned with the enforcement of legislation on goods vehicle safety is generally provided by police officers acting as instructors. We are not aware that any officers are employed solely for the purpose of providing this particular training.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have traffic officers or special units dedicated to enforcing truck safety; and what are the numbers of police staff who are dedicated in this way(a) in total and (b) in each of the past 10 years. [33583]

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not available. Police officers assigned to traffic work are involved in many aspects of traffic law enforcement not solely the enforcement of goods vehicle safety legislation.

  Deaths in Custody
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will define a "properly interested person" in cases involving deaths in custody. [33341]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  No. Under the present law, the determination of a "properly interested person" under the Coroners Rules 1984 for the purposes of any inquest is a matter for the coroner. The circumstances in which
  697
  persons may be interested in a particular case vary so considerably that I do not think that further definition is practicable.

  Immigration Service
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to compare the performance of the Immigration Service at the different ports of entry to the United Kingdom. [33840]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The National Audit Office report. "Entry into the United Kingdom"—HC204—made a number of recommendations about the development of an indicator system to compare the performance of the Immigration Service at individual ports of entry. All the recommendations are being carefully considered and as a first step the Immigration Service has made significant revisions to its management information system to facilitate better use and easier comparisons of performance indicators. Further work is continuing.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to improve passenger clearance times at ports of entry. [33839]

  Mr. Baker
  The Immigration Service has published service standards for passenger queuing times at all ports and airports, and monitoring exercises have shown that these standards have generally been achieved. Consistent with the need to apply effectively the immigration rules as set down by Parliament, the service seeks to introduce measures aimed at further improving this aspect of its work—often in co-operation with port operators and carrying companies. Recent initiatives include:the introduction of new shift arrangements at certain ports to help match staff deployment more closely to predicted weight of arriving traffic, particularly during the early morning;
  the development of fast track facilities at Heathrow terminals 3 and 4;
  increased on-board coach clearance at Dover; and
  special arrangements for tour groups at Heathrow terminal 4.

  Foundation for Business Responsibilities
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many staff were allocated to the charity commissioners' second inquiry into the Foundation for Business Responsibilities; how long they spent making their inquiries; and what was the total number of man hours put into the investigation; [32057]

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 18 May, Official Report, column 369, how much money the charity commissioners found had been improperly paid to Marketforce Communications by the Foundation for Business Responsibilities; who was the individual responsible for these payments; and how much money this individual repaid to the charity; [32067]

  (3) pursuant to his answer of 18 May, Official Report, column 369, on what grounds the charity commissioners decided that some payments to Marketforce Communications by the Foundation for Business Responsibilities had been improper; [32066]
  698
  (4) which donors to the Foundation for Business Responsibilities were interviewed or corresponded with during the charity commissioners' second inquiry into the charity; and if he will place copies of this correspondence in the Library; [32056]

  (5) how many witnesses were interviewed by the charity commission during its second investigation into the Foundation for Business Responsibilities; and if he will list them. [32058]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Details of persons written to or interviewed by the Charity Commission during an investigation are a matter for the Charity Commission. The commission's correspondence files are confidential, particularly those relating to investigations cases where disclosure may discourage third parties from providing information to the commission. Correspondence will not usually be disclosed without the authority of an order of the court or the consent of the correspondent.

  The commission's second inquiry was conducted by one member of staff who, over a period of four and a half months, spent a total of 22¼ hours on it. The investigator was supported at times by senior staff. The duration of this support was not recorded.

  During the course of the commission's investigation, the trustees of the Foundation for Business Responsibilities themselves acknowledged that some of the payments made by the foundation to Marketforce Communications were not justified having regard to the services provided by marketforce to the foundation. The commission was not party to any consideration of the factors leading to the trustees' decision.

  During the course of the commission's first inquiry, £98,987.96 was identified as being improperly paid to Marketforce Communications. The former director of the foundation, Michael Ivens, authorised the payments. He repaid the money to the charity.

  Prison Governors (Bonus Scheme)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement outlining how the bonds scheme for prison governors works. [32251]

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 13 July 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how the bonus scheme for prison governors works.
  The Special Bonus Scheme applies to all staff in the Prison Service and Home Office, including governor grades. Special bonuses are used as an exceptional measure to give prompt and tangible recognition for outstanding performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations which may arise during periods of exceptional pressure. In the financial year 1994/95 fourteen such awards were given to prison governors.
  More usually, governor grades earn performance related pay based on movement up an agreed scale on the basis of the annual performance assessment by their line manager.

  Prisoners (Home Leave Refusals)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of home leaves of prison inmates that have been refused due to the fact that victims object to such home leave; and if he will make a statement. [31373]

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 13 July 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of home leaves of prison inmates that have been refused due to the fact that the victims object to such home leave.Last November the Home Secretary announced new arrangements to replace the existing home leave and temporary release schemes for prisoners. The new system of release on temporary licence came into effect on 25 April following changes made to the Prison Rules. A new system of data collection is being established to monitor the operation of the new system but information about victim concerns will not be recorded centrally because, in most cases any decision to refuse an application would be based on a variety of factors and not solely because of victim representations. Under the new arrangements, governors are required, within the risk assessment process for considering applications for release on temporary licence, to take full account of any concern expressed by victims. However, victims do not generally have any power to veto the release of prisoners on temporary licence, except where the victim is in the home and their wishes must be respected.The Victims Helpline which opened last December had received 186 calls by 29 June, of which 73 were enquiries and 113 were representations. These were passed to the appropriate prison for consideration. Information about the nature of the individual representations and whether they led to a refusal of release on temporary licence is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many disability living allowance appeals were received by his Department concerning(a) a review requested within three months of the original decision and (b) a review requested at any time; and in each case, how many appeals were successful, in each of the years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95; [33031]

  (2) how many claims for disability living allowance were received by his Department in each of the years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95; [33027]

  (3) how many requests for a review within three months of a refusal to award disability living allowance were received by his Department in each of the years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95; how many of these requests were refused; and how many of the reviews resulted in the original decision being revised; [33029]
  700
  (4) how many requests for a review made at any time concerning refusal of an award of disability living allowance were received by his Department in each of the years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95; how many of these requests were refused; and how many of the reviews resulted in the original decision being revised; [33030]

  (5) how many awards of disability living allowance were made in each of the years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95. [33028]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  The information is not available in the format requested for all the questions. Available information is in the tables.

  Disability living allowance claims and awards

  Thousands

  Number

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Claims received

  744

  435

  504

  Awards made

  432

  223

  233

  Note:

  1. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2. Claims received in one year may not be decided in the same year.

  Source:

  Analytical Service Division: 100 per cent. data.

  Disability living allowance review of claims

  Thousands

  Number

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Review within three months

  Received

  79

  133

  154

  Decided

  40

  158

  146

  Successful

  17

  64

  61

  Review requested at any time

  Received

  97

  271

  330

  Decided

  46

  293

  317

  Successful

  20

  135

  154

  Notes

  1. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2. Claims decided in one year may not be reviewed in the same year.

  3. Request for review may be about the rate or length of award as well as whether or not an award was made.

  4. A decision may be revised because the claimant has provided additional evidence on review or because the claimant'scondition has deteriorated.

  5. A review at any time includes reviews requested within three months of the original decision.

  Source:

  Analytical Service Division: 100 per cent. data.

  Disability living allowance appeals

  Thousands

  Numbers

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Received

  7

  30

  29

  Successful

  0

  10

  16

  Notes:

  1. Reviews decided in one year may not be heard on appeal in the same year.

  2. An appeal may be about the rate or length of award as well as whether or not an award was made.

  3. A decision may be revised on appeal because the claimant has provided additional evidence or because the claimant's condition has deteriorated.

  Sickness, Disability and Disablement Benefits
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest monthly count of claimants drawing any one of the sickness, disability or disablement benefits. [33141]

  Mr. Burt
  The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the table:

  Benefit

  Numbers in receipt

  Latest data

  Attendance Allowance1

  996,000

  March1994

  Disability Living Allowance2

  1,541.000

  May1995

  Disability Working Allowance3

  5,202

  January 1995

  Industrial Injuries Benefit4

  209,000

  April 1993

  Invalidity Benefit5,12

  1,580,000

  April 1993

  Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis, and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme6

  331

  June 1995

  Reduced Earnings Allowance/Retirement Allowance7

  155,000

  April 1993

  Sickness Benefit8 12

  147,000

  April 1993

  Severe Disablement Allowance9

  316,000

  April 1993

  War Disablement Benefit10

  260,297

  March 1995

  Workmens Compensation Supplementation Scheme11

  870

  June 1995

  Figures rounded to the nearest thousand other than those based on a 100 per cent. count of cases.

  1. Based on 100 per cent. count of cases, adjusted by an annual sampling exercise.

  2. Based on five per cent. sample.

  3. Based on 100 per cent. count.

  4. Rated up from ten per cent. sample with an allowance for late returns. The figure quoted related to the number of assessment in payment and not recipients. A person may be in receipt of more than one pension.

  5. Based on one per cent. sample.

  6. Based on 100 per cent. count of cases.

  7. Rated up from a ten per cent. sample with an allowance for late returns. The figure quoted relates to the number of allowances in payment and not recipients. A person may be in receipt of more than one allowance.

  8. Based on a one per cent. sample.

  9. Based on one per cent. sample.

  10. Based on 100 per cent. count of cases.

  11. Based on 100 per cent. count of cases.

  12. Replaced by Incapacity benefit from 13 April 1995.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) loans and (b) grants had been made in each region by the social fund in the last year for which figures are available. [32829]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Ian Magee, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mr. Ian Magee to Mr. Jim Cunningham dated 12 July 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of Social Fund loans and grants made in each region in the last year for which figures are available.
  With the creation of the Benefits Agency in April 1991, offices were grouped into Districts. These were then grouped into Area Directorates within three Territorial Directorates.
  702
  I have therefore provides, at Annex A, the information requested by Area Directorate for the financial year 1994–95.
  I hope you find this information helpful.

  Annex A: Number of community care grants and loans awarded in the Benefits Agency area directorates during the financial year 1994–95

  Territory and area directorate

  Grant awards

  Loan awards

  Scotland and Northern

  Tyne Tees

  18,734

  101,582

  South Yorkshire and Humberside

  17,542

  93,609

  North and West Yorkshire

  11,783

  82,189

  Glasgow and Paisley

  16,238

  101,581

  North, Central and West Scotland

  17,974

  76,117

  East Scotland

  10,047

  66,912

  Territory total

  92,318

  521,990

  Southern

  Anglia

  12,802

  66,188

  Chilterns

  11,014

  70,841

  South London and West Sussex

  9,678

  66,770

  West Country

  16,792

  93,515

  Essex and East London

  13,192

  73,637

  South East

  11,551

  81,904

  Wessex

  10,543

  73,138

  Territory total

  85,572

  525,993

  Wales and Central

  East Midlands

  13,078

  74,587

  Midlands South West

  12,563

  61,408

  West Mercia

  15,814

  77,079

  Wales

  20,860

  88,708

  Merseyside

  17,456

  100,879

  Greater Manchester

  14,693

  91,676

  Lancashire and Cumbria

  12,263

  76,961

  Territory total

  106,727

  571,298

  National total

  284,617

  1,619,281

  Information Technology Services Agency Data Centres
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the value of each of the bids received for the four ITSA data centres. [33164]

  Mr. Burt
  It is not normal practice for commercially sensitive information to be made available in this manner.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the EDS bids for lots E and F were the lowest; and if he will make a statement. [33167]

  Mr. Burt
  All suppliers' bid for lots E and F were evaluated in accordance with an approved process covering financial and non-financial aspects. The EDS bids for the lots were the lowest bids received.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made as to whether the purchase by EDS of all four DSS computer centres threatens security of supply and on-going competition; and if he will make a statement. [33168]

  Mr. Burt
  The decision to award all data centre services work to EDS was made after a rigorous technical, financial and business evaluation in full accord with EC services directive 92/50/EEC. The contractual agreement allows the Department of Social Security to market test any segment of the awarded business if, in its judgment,
  703
  competitive prices are not being maintained. In those circumstances, the Department may award business to another supplier.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the contracts his Department has with the computer company EDS. [33176]

  Mr. Burt
  The following contracts are currently held with EDS: area computer centre facilities management—704
  a contract to manage the area computer centre at Norcross, Blackpool; Child Support Agency, technical services agreement—development of Child Support Agency computer system; Child Support Agency live support—maintenance of child support agency computer system; framework agreement for computer and related services—consultancy support; Focus' 95—outsourcing contract for data centre services elements of ITSA's service delivery. This includes management of the area computer centre at Norcross, Blackpool.

TRANSPORT

  Long-distance Haulage Industry
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the value to Britain's invisible exports of the long-distance haulage industry. [32570]

  Mr. Norris
  In 1994, it is estimated that UK road hauliers contributed £520 million to UK invisible exports.

  A3 Trunk Road Works
  Mr. David Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he now expects the A3 trunk road works in the region of Guildford to be completed; what penalty clauses are in operation for time overruns; and what compensation will be paid to those businesses which have suffered a prolonged downturn in custom as a result of the roadworks and consequent delays; [33643]

  (2) what studies he has made of the traffic delays caused during 1995 by the A3 roadwork operations in the Guildford region; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the conduct of the contactors with the local authorities and with the signposting and provision of information to motorists; and if he will make a statement. [33642]

  Mr. Watts
  These are operational matters for the highways agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to my right hon. Friend.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. David Howell, dated 17 July 1995:
  The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr John Watts, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about roadwork on the A3 at Guildford.
  No studies as such, have been made of the traffic delays caused during 1995 by these roadwork. Traffic conditions are, of course, being watched closely by operational staff supervising the contract.
  Our agents, Surrey County Council, are monitoring carefully, the performance and conduct of the contractor as part of their contract supervision role. It would not be appropriate to comment further on this prior to the completion and final settlement of the contract.
  We are satisfied with the adequacy of the signposting which extends from the M3 at Winchester to the M25 junction at Wisley. Information to the public has been given a high priority. A full press briefing was held before the start of works and frequent television and local radio interviews have been held as works have progressed.
  Provided no unavoidable delays occur, the works are expected to be completed by the end of July. The contract is of the lane rental type which provides for the contractor to be charged £20,000 for every day he overruns the contract completion date, as adjusted for any delays caused by factors outside his control. The contract also provides for the payment to the contractor of a bonus for early completion.
  There is no provision at law for compensation for loss of business because of changes in traffic arising from roadworks.

  Rail Services (Support Payments)
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each train operation unit or company, the support payments made to the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to British Rail, under section 52 of the Railways Act 1993. [34207]

  Mr. Watts
  The Director of Passenger Rail Franchising is currently negotiating with the British Railways Board 706
  the level of support for passenger rail services, under section 52 of the Railways Act 1993, appropriate of reach train operating unit or company in the current financial year. I will write to the hon. Member when the level of support has been agreed and will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

  Four-wheel Drive Off-road Vehicles
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the main conclusions of his Department's research collating figures involving four-wheel drive off-road vehicles with particular reference to(a) the period of survey and (b) the total number of accidents in which such vehicles were involved, indicating the proportion of total accidents constituted by this figure. [34040]

  Mr. Norris
  Personal injury road accident data obtained by the police and reported to the Department using the STATS19 accident report form show that in 1994, four-wheel off-road vehicles were known to be involved in approximately 3,400 accidents, a figure which constitutes 1.5 per cent. of the total number of accidents.

  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the four-wheel drive off-road vehicles involved in accidents collated in his Department's research were fitted with bull-bars; how many pedestrian-only accidents involving(a) children and (b) adults were recorded, indicating the vehicle's speed at the time of the accident; how many involved pedestrian deaths in respect of (a) and (b); and if he will indicate the numbers of (i) cars and (ii) light commercial vehicles involved. [34041]

  Mr. Norris
  The information requested is not available. The Transport Research Laboratory is currently analysing the accidents identified by the police during 1994 which involved a vehicle fitted with a bull bar. Its report is expected to answer questions as far as possible.

  British Rail (Catering Products)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which companies have been shortlisted to supply British Rail with catering products; and if he will make a statement on what the contract is worth and what it entails. [34084]

  Mr. Watts
  The supply of catering products to British Rail and the details of any relevant contractual arrangements are commercial matters for the British Railways Board.

  Channel Tunnel Rail Link
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if it remains his policy that the channel tunnel rail link will be built only within the route and limits of deviation specified in the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Bill and in the documents listed in that Bill. [34134]

  Mr. Watts
  Yes. Construction of the route on the lands defined in the hybrid Bill is a minimum requirement of the competition.

  Unsafe Vehicles
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) coaches and (b) heavy goods vehicles have been found to be unsafe in each of the last five years; and how many prosecutions have taken place as a consequence. [34142]

  Mr. Norris
  Information relating to numbers of prosecutions is contained in Home Office and Scottish Office statistics. The statistics show the number of offences and not the number of vehicles found unsafe. Consequently, the information does not distinguish between road vehicle types.

  The relevant figures are shown in the table below:

  England and Wales

  Scotland

  Year

  Offences1

  Offences prosecuted in Magistrates court

  Offences2

  Offences Prosecuted

  1989

  389,043

  97,351

  48,179

  10,797

  1990

  383,715

  89,419

  47,477

  9,897

  1991

  382,078

  91,890

  46,765

  8,839

  1992

  381,232

  93,504

  47,775

  7,980

  1993

  383,382

  87,354

  51,387

  6,557

  1 These figures relate to circumstances where a vehicle or vehicle part has been found to be in a dangerous or defective condition including brakes, steering gear, tyres. They also include offences of using a vehicle in a dangerous condition and other related offences. The action taken includes prosecutions (shown separately), vehicle defect rectification notices issued, written warnings and fixed penalty notices issued.

  2 The offences covered are offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 and the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989.

  Bus and Coach Safety
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to expand the work of the Vehicle Inspectorate to achieve higher standards of bus and coach following the Operation Tourist crackdown; and if he will make a statement. [34083]

  Mr. Norris
  We are committed to increasing compliance with the safety standards for buses and coaches through an effective enforcement regime. The joint Vehicle Inspectorate and police Operation Tourist crackdown—which involved staff targeting tourist coaches suspected of having safety defects on holiday routes in the south and west on 8 July—demonstrates that commitment.

  Regular roadside enforcement checks and checks of vehicles at operators' premises are an essential tool for increasing compliance with safety standards. Special
  708
  roadside enforcement exercises such as Operation Tourist provide an opportunity to target one specific vehicle type. Moreover, an additional £100,000 has recently been made available to the Vehicle Inspectorate for enforcement work in relation to buses and coaches this financial year.

  Transport Supplementary Grant
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which highway authorities in England had three or more new schemes approved for transport supplementary grant in his approvals for(a) 1994–95 and (b) 1995–96. [34133]

  Mr. Norris
  No authority had three or more new schemes approved for transport supplementary grant in either of these years.

  Railways (Noise Insulation Regulations)
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the draft Noise Insulation Regulations for New Railway Lines; and if he will make a statement. [34569]

  Mr. Watts
  The Draft Noise Insulation Regulations for New Railway Lines and associated technical memorandum have been laid before Parliament today. The regulations are intended to provide equity of treatment as between those living alongside new railway lines and those living alongside new roads, who are protected by existing noise insulation regulations.

  Although I fully expect developers of new railway lines to take all practical measures to reduce railway noise at source, there will inevitably be instances where this may not be possible or cost-effective.

  The new regulations will create a duty, in the case of new lines and additional tracks constructed alongside existing lines, to provide insulation, or a grant for the costs of carrying out insulation works, when noise exceeds certain levels. They also give a discretionary power to offer insulation in the case of certain alterations to existing railway lines.

  With a number of new railway projects either planned or under construction, it is only fair and proper that people who live alongside these lines should have a similar degree of statutory noise protection that their neighbours living near new roads have benefited from over the last 20 years.

  In the case of existing railway lines, which now carry new channel tunnel rail traffic, noise mitigation schemes have been agreed between BR/Railfreight Distribution and Kent and Surrey county councils and the London borough of Bromley. Under these schemes, acoustic barriers are being erected at affected locations alongside existing lines to and from the channel tunnel. They are being jointly funded by the organisations involved, with Government assistance.
  709
  I would like to see BR/Railfreight Distribution actively entering into similar agreements with other local authorities whose areas might be similarly affected in future.

  North Downs Line (International Freight)
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the use of the North Downs line as a route for international freight trains avoiding London. [34435]

  Mr. Watts
  In August 1994, Railtrack reported to me that the North Downs line was not a commercially viable alternative route. I asked officials to report to me whether there was likely to be any environmental benefits which could justify the development of the North Downs line at public expense. They have concluded that there are not. I have today placed a copy of their report in the Library of the House.

  Coastguard Agency
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the Coastguard Agency has implemented efficiency savings; to what extent; and what further changes he intends to make before April 1996. [34028]

  Mr. Norris
  This is an operational matter for the Coastguard Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from C. J. Harris to Ms Joan Walley, dated 13 July 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question as the question deals with an operational matter, for which I have responsibility as Chief Executive.
  PO 2343/94/95 We were successful in meeting our 3% running costs efficiency target by means of:
  —rationalising the accommodation and common services provision in HQ;
  —reductions in administrative staff, following a staff inspection, leading to a more effective HQ support organisation;
  —reducing property maintenance cost;
  —reducing IT maintenance costs;
  —reducing administrative costs.
  Further efficiency measures for 1995–96 are detailed in our Business Plan and are currently under consideration.

  Vehicle Inspectorate
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was the annual basic pay for traffic examiners, senior traffic examiners and vehicle examiners in each year since 1984; [33586]

  (2) what were the numbers of immediate and delayed prohibitions imposed by the Vehicle Inspectorate on trucks for each year since 1984; [33582]

  (3) how many hours were lost in Vehicle Inspectorate enforcement for each year since 1984 because police resources could not be provided; [33584]

  (4) how many staff are employed within the Vehicle Inspectorate (a) full time and (b) as part of their other duties to train (i) traffic examiners and (ii) vehicle examiners; [33587]
  710
  (5) how many senior traffic examiners were employed for each year since 1984; [33585]

  (6) what targets the Vehicle Inspectorate has had regarding enforcement for each year since 1984; [33589]

  (7) how much was spent on vehicle examiners and traffic examiners, not including testing station staff, for each year since 1984. [33581]

  Mr. Norris
  These are operational matters for the Vehicle Inspectorate agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ron Oliver to Ms Joan Walley, dated 13 July 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions on our enforcement activities.
  The number of immediate and delayed prohibitions on HGVs since 1984 is shown in the attached Annex A. Early information about the number of unproductive hours (attendance hours) resulting from unexpected withdrawal of police resources was provided in my reply to PQ 482/94/95 on 18 January. Discussions with police are continuing over delivery of support throughout the country and how this should continue to be monitored.
  Details of the Vehicle Inspectorate's targets are published each year in its Business Plan and are available from the House of Commons library. These have been issued since 1989.
  The additional £350,000 funding which has been made available to VI, together with other decisions on additional work, means that we are currently recruiting more traffic and vehicle examiners. My reply to you of 26 June (ref PQ 1939/94/95) gave general details of the number of traffic and vehicle examiners being recruited across the Vehicle Inspectorate to increase complement, cover anticipated retirements and substantially fill current temporary posts.
  There are 4 full and 8 part time trainers involved with internal training from VI staff. A proportion but not all of their work would be devoted to traffic and vehicle examiner training.
  Annex B provides details of pay ranges for traffic examiners, senior traffic examiners and vehicle examiners for the past 3 years. There is no basic rate of pay; progression through the pay spine is related to performance markings in the annual staff reports. We do not hold details of pay ranges prior to 1991.
  Annex C provides details of the number of senior traffic examiners for the last 4 years. The Vehicle Inspectorate did not take on traffic enforcement activities until 1991.

  Annex A: Immediate and delayed prohibitions issued to heavy goods vehicles for roadworthiness defects

  All prohibitions

  Year

  Immediate

  Delayed

  1984–85

  3,619

  6,956

  1985–86

  5,545

  8,477

  1986–87

  4,260

  5,331

  1987–88

  7,693

  11,727

  1988–89

  7,774

  10,446

  1989–90

  7,816

  9,433

  1990–91

  9,229

  10,615

  1991–92

  9,827

  10,788

  1992–93

  11,041

  11,040

  1993–94

  10,834

  11,426

  1994–95

  11,516

  11,788

  711

  Annex B: National pay 1991–1993

  Year

  TE

  STE

  PTO

  1993

  Min—£11,208

  Min—£14,126

  Min—£11,766

  Std1—£14,307

  Std1—£16,835

  Std1—£16,168

  1992

  Min—£11,097

  Min—£14,022

  Min—£11,592

  Std1—14,165

  Std1—£16,668

  Std1—£15,929

  1991

  Min—£10,444

  Min—£13,332

  Min—£11,146

  Std1—£13,605

  Std1—£16,009

  Std1—£15,316

  1 These figures are the "Standard" pay which staff in these grades will reach before the upper levels of performance-related pay apply.

  Annex C: Total number of STEs from 1992–95

  Date

  Total number of STEs

  31 May 1995

  24

  25 May 1994

  25

  30 April 1993

  30

  31 May 1992

  35

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33449]

  Mr. Norris
  Gross voted expenditure since 1980 by the Department on the employment of consultants on privatisation programmes involving the Department, and other costs associated with these privatisations, has been some £122 million.

  Aviation (Safety Recommendations)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 31 March,Official Report, columns 830–31, if he will make a statement on the outcome of the discussions between the Civil Aviation Authority and the joint aviation authorities at the meeting which was due to be held in April on the issue of the lack of an existing system whereby the joint aviation authorities can respond as a body to safety recommendations raised by national investigating authorities. [31642]

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 3 July 1995]: It was agreed that the existing International Civil Aviation Organisation system for receiving and responding to safety recommendations remains appropriate and effective. Under ICAO, responsibility for continue airworthiness rests with the state of design. This remains the case where certification is against a Joint Aviation Authorities harmonised code adopted by that state. Should the recommendation affect a JAA code, the state of design would normally refer the issue to the JAA; the JAA would close their action by confirming any resultant change made to the code.

  Midland Metro
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 1995, column 57, what assessment he has made of how much more local funding is necessary before the Government release the funding they have promised for the midland
  712
  metro line; how many jobs will be created by the new line; what other such rail lines are planned for the west midlands; and what percentage of funding for the midland metro line will come from the local area, and how much will come from the Government.

  Mr. Norris
  After considering proposals for funding from local authorities in the west midlands, I am pleased to announce that we are now satisfied with the level of local funding being provided for this project. I can therefore confirm that the Government will provide £80 million of funding, as requested by the local authorities. Together with the local contribution and the funding expected to be provided by the European regional development fund, this provides sufficient funding for the scheme to go ahead.

  Midland metro line one is excellent news for travellers in the west midlands; it will be good for the environment and provide motorists with an alternative form of transport in a congested corridor.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullins) of 23 May,Official Report, column 534, if he will define the nature of behavioural conditions that can be applied to civil servants. [34205]

  Mr. Horam
  The business appointment rules for Crown servants make provision for applications by civil servants to take up new employment after they leave the service to be approved subject to behavioural conditions, which may include an absolute or qualified ban on involvement of the applicant in dealing between the prospective employer and the Government, or a ban on involvement by the applicant in dealings between the prospective employer and a named competitor or competitors of that employer. If a behavioural condition is considered necessary, it will be tailored to meet the particular circumstances of the case.

  Prime Minister's Questions
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the First Secretary of State if he will be answering questions on behalf of the Prime Minister when the latter is absent from the House. [34292]

  The Deputy Prime Minster
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by the Prime Minister.

  Ministerial Duties
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the First Secretary of State (1) what involvement he will have in Departments of state; and if he will specify the Departments; [34293]

  (2) if he will list his responsibilities with particular reference to those he undertakes as Deputy Prime Minister. [34288]
  713
  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 11 July.Official Report, column 496–97.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the First Secretary of State if he will list all the duties to be undertaken by the Deputy Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement. [34031]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) and for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 11 July 1995,Official Report columns 496–97.

  Ministerial Responsibilities
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the First Secretary of State how he intends to account to the House for his ministerial responsibilities. [34038]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 11 July,Official Report, column 496.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the First Secretary of State what is the number of staff who will be directly responsible to him; and if he will list their duties. [34289]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 11 July 1995 Official Report, column 496.

  Ministerial Accommodation
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the First Secretary of State what ministerial accommodation he has now; and if he will also state the total amount of accommodation used by the staff directly accountable to him. [34287]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce), given today.

  Information Leaks
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many leak inquiries in Government Departments there have been since 1990; what is the estimated cost of these inquiries; and how many individuals have been reprimanded or prosecuted as a result of these inquiries. [34253]

  Mr. Freeman
  It is not the practice of the Government to give information on such matters.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 28 June,Official Report, column 713, what considerations led to his refusal to supply the requested information in relation to Government leak inquiries; and if he will make a statement. [34352]

  Mr. Freeman
  It has not been the practice of the Government to disclose the details of leak inquiries.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  School Pupils (Expenditure)
  Sir Harold Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the unit cost per pupil in each local education authority in 1993–94 for(a) nursery/primary and (b) secondary pupils. [34328]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The table sets out for each LEA in England the net institutional expenditure per pupil in LEA-maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools.

  Cost per pupil—Net institutional expenditure

  Nursery/ Primary 1993–94 £

  Secondary 1993–94 £

  Corporation of London

  3,587

  0

  Camden

  2,047

  2,716

  Greenwich

  2,009

  2,583

  Hackney

  1,958

  2,617

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  2,534

  3,329

  Islington

  2,719

  3,005

  Kensington and Chelsea

  2,394

  3,266

  Lambeth

  2,666

  3,296

  Lewisham

  2,058

  2,614

  Southwark

  1,806

  2,421

  Tower Hamlets

  2,656

  3,157

  Wandsworth

  2,139

  2,795

  City of Westminster

  2,592

  2,739

  Barking

  1,790

  2,355

  Barnet

  2,006

  2,952

  Bexley

  1,573

  2,341

  Brent

  1,633

  1,835

  Bromley

  1,525

  2,280

  Croydon

  1,793

  2,309

  Ealing

  1,915

  2,575

  Enfield

  1,768

  2,531

  Haringey

  2,236

  3,041

  Harrow

  1,913

  2,439

  Havering

  1,636

  2,290

  Hillingdon

  1,804

  2,670

  Hounslow

  1,784

  2,282

  Kingston upon Thames

  1,728

  2,284

  Merton

  1,853

  2,463

  Newham

  1,708

  2,563

  Redbridge

  1,640

  2,526

  Richmond upon Thames

  1,794

  2,280

  Sutton

  1,639

  1,978

  Waltham Forest

  1,821

  2,526

  Birmingham

  1,572

  2,330

  Coventry

  1,684

  2,469

  Dudley

  1,490

  2,098

  Sandwell

  1,681

  2,349

  Solihull

  1,574

  2,217

  Walsall

  1,672

  2,281

  Wolverhampton

  1,357

  2,300

  Knowsley

  1,485

  2,243

  Liverpool

  1,586

  2,613

  St. Helens

  1,605

  2,315

  Sefton

  1,448

  2,204

  Wirral

  1,552

  2,299

  Bolton

  1,581

  2,119

  Bury

  1,432

  1,979

  Manchester

  1,547

  2,328

  Oldham

  1,645

  2,278

  Rochdale

  1,307

  1,974

  Salford

  1,505

  2,215

  Stockport

  1,466

  2,310

  715

  Cost per pupil—Net institutional expenditure

  Nursery/Primary 1993–94 £

  Secondary 1993–94 £

  Tameside

  1,442

  2,095

  Trafford

  1,428

  2,156

  Wigan

  1,437

  2,141

  Barnsley

  1,539

  2,101

  Doncaster

  1,425

  2,022

  Rotherham

  1,723

  2,271

  Sheffield

  1,573

  2,119

  Bradford

  1,654

  1,969

  Calderdale

  1,607

  2,162

  Kirklees

  1,579

  2,207

  Leeds

  1,647

  2,164

  Wakefield

  1,577

  2,150

  Gateshead

  1,664

  2,252

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  1,697

  2,187

  North Tyneside

  1,469

  1,995

  South Tyneside

  1,463

  1,948

  Sunderland

  1,509

  2,114

  Isles of Scilly

  2,401

  4,415

  Avon

  1,571

  2,288

  Bedfordshire

  1,639

  2,103

  Berkshire

  1,592

  2,214

  Buckinghamshire

  1,735

  2,286

  Cambridgeshire

  1,534

  1,956

  Cheshire

  1,483

  2,106

  Cleveland

  1,461

  2,129

  Cornwall

  1,535

  2,160

  Cumbria

  1,667

  2,216

  Derbyshire

  1,600

  2,214

  Devon

  1,503

  2,157

  Dorset

  1,485

  2,065

  Durham

  1,664

  2,114

  East Sussex

  1,643

  2,270

  Essex

  1,724

  2,286

  Gloucestershire

  1,523

  2,084

  Hampshire

  1,583

  2,180

  Hereford and Worcester

  1,617

  2,038

  Hertfordshire

  1,664

  2,245

  Humberside

  1,621

  2,257

  Isle of Wight

  1,598

  2,027

  Kent

  1,397

  2,079

  Lancashire

  1,669

  2,347

  Leicestershire

  1,629

  2,263

  Lincolnshire

  1,496

  2,322

  Norfolk

  1,585

  2,309

  North Yorkshire

  1,555

  2,187

  Northamptonshire

  1,522

  2,125

  Northumberland

  1,686

  2,083

  Nottinghamshire

  1,653

  2,381

  Oxfordshire

  1,765

  2,191

  Shropshire

  1,577

  2,354

  Somerset

  1,583

  2,138

  Staffordshire

  1,534

  2,078

  Suffolk

  1,673

  2,190

  Surrey

  1,701

  2,215

  Warwickshire

  1,555

  2,420

  West Sussex

  1,579

  2,467

  Wiltshire

  1,521

  2,379

  Total

  1,630

  2,245

  Deputy Prime Minister
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what will be the involvement of the Deputy Prime Minister in the work of her Department. [34035]
  716
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger), on 11 July,Official Report, columns 496–97.

  Departmental Ministers and Their Responsibilities
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if she will list the members of her Front-Bench team and their responsibilities. [34039]

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Ministerial responsibilities within the Department for Education and Employment are as follows:Secretary of State Gillian Shephard has overall responsibility for the Department and its policies. In particular, she will have responsibility for the public expenditure survey and pay in the education sector.
  Minister of State Eric Forth is responsible for the jobseeker's allowance; employment policy and benefit issues; labour market statistics; higher education: including content and quality, structure and funding, building programmes, and Higher Education Funding Council matters; the private finance initiative in higher education; student support, overseas students, and other student issues; European Union and international issues and the careers service/education.
  Minister of State Lord Henley is responsible for the school curriculum and assessment; examinations and qualifications including GCSE, GCE A-Level, NVQs GNVQs and the review of 16 to 19 qualifications; performance tables; the Employment Service; education-industry links; special education in schools; people with disabilities; special needs training; and school transport. He is designated departmental Minister responsible for the citizen's charter; next steps; general legal questions and departmental purchasing.
  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Robin Squire is responsible for pre-school education; grant-maintained schools borrowing legislation; school effectiveness and action on failing schools; the common funding formula and the national funding formula; the private finance initiative in schools; local management of schools and school governor matters; teacher matters including training and supply, teachers' misconduct, the Teacher Training Agency, appraisal, pensions and the Teachers' Pensions Agency. He is also responsible for grants for education support and training; truancy, discipline and attendance; IT in schools and new technologies; departmental management issues; environmental and energy issues and research.
  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State James Paice has responsibility for post-16 issues including post-16 school organisation; further education, including content and quality, structure and funding, building programmes, and Further Education Funding Council matters; the Youth Service; adult learning/training; the private finance initiative in FE; training strategy and infrastructure and training and enterprise councils. He also has responsibility for regional government offices; regional and urban policy; inner cities and the single regeneration budget and section 11 matters.
  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Cheryl Gillian has responsibility for the development and implementation of the policy of choice and diversity in schools; GM school casework; five to 16 school reorganisations and admissions policies; city technology colleges; technology colleges and other specialist schools; independent schools; the assisted places schemes; school meals and schools capital issues. She also has responsibility for women's issues, older workers and equal opportunities.
  717
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which of the former Department of Employment's responsibilities her Department has now taken on; and which Minister is in charge of each area of responsibility. [34044]

  Mrs. Shephard
  Ministerial responsibilities within the Department for Education and Employment are as follows. Those areas of work which were previously the responsibility of the former Department of Employment are shown in bold type.Secretary of State Gillian Shephard has overall responsibility for the Department and its policies. In particular she will have responsibility for the public expenditure survey and pay in the education sector.
  Minister of State Eric Forth is responsible for the Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA); employment policy and benefit issues; labour market statistics; higher education, including content and quality, structure and funding, building programmes, and Higher Education Funding Council matters; the private finance initiative in higher education; student support, overseas students, and other student issues; European Union and international issues and the Careers service/education.
  Minister of State Lord Henley is responsible for the school curriculum and assessment; examinations and qualifications including GCSE, GCE A-Level, NVQs, GNVQs and the review of 16 to 19 qualifications; performance tables; the Employment Service; education-industry links; special education in schools; people with disabilities; special needs training; and school transport. He is designated departmental Minister responsible for the citizens charter; next steps; general legal questions and departmental purchasing.
  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Robin Squire is responsible for pre-school education; grant-maintained schools borrowing legislation; school effectiveness and action on failing schools; the common funding formula and the national funding formula; the private finance initiative in schools; local management of schools and school governor matters; teacher matters including training and supply, teachers' misconduct, the Teacher Training Agency, appraisal, pensions and the Teachers' Pensions Agency. He is also responsible for grants for education support and training; truancy, discipline and attendance; IT in schools and new technologies; departmental management issues; environmental and energy issues and research.
  Pariliamentary Under-Secretary of State James Paice Paice has responsibility for post-16 issues including post-16 school organisation; further education, including content and quality, structure and funding, building programmes, and Further Education Funding Council matters; the Youth Service; adult learning/training; the private finance initiative in FE; training strategy and infrastructure and training and enterprise councils. He also has responsibility for regional Government offices; regional and urban policy; inner cities and the single regeneration budget and section 11 matters.
  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Cheryl Gillan has responsibility for the development and implementation of the policy of choice and diversity in schools; GM school casework; five to 16 school reorganisations and admissions policies; city technology colleges; technology colleges and other specialist schools; independent schools; the assisted places scheme; school meals and schools capital issues. She also has responsibility for women's issues, older workers and equal opportunities.

  I am taking steps to ensure the effective integration of functions within the new Department as quickly as possible. I have today written to education and training organisations inviting comments on an initial statement of aims and objectives for the new Department. This will provide a framework for bringing together all the policies
  718
  and programmes designed to educate and train young people and adults and help unemployed people into work.

  I have also invited urgent comments on proposals for the grouping of work within the Department, so that a top management structure can be put in place within the next few weeks.

  I have placed a copy of my letter to education and training bodies, with the statement of aims and objectives and the proposed top management structure, in the Library of the House.

  Special Needs (Legal Action)
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on what authority the Treasury Counsel in the case of Emma Van de Velde v. Special Needs Tribunal—case number C01670/95—are seeking to establish that children should no longer be allowed to be parties to legal actions brought on their behalf against the decisions of local education authorities. [34247]

  Mr. Forth
  Appeals against decisions of the special educational needs tribunal are governed by the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992. That Act requires that the only persons who can appeal against a decision of the tribunal are the parties before the tribunal. The Education Act 1993, and the Special Educational Needs Tribunal Regulations 1994, make it clear that the parties before the tribunal are the parent and the local education authority.

  Hackney Downs School
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement about Hackney Downs school. [34838]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Hackney Downs school was inspected and found to be failing to provide an acceptable standard of education in August 1994. Hackney education authority then announced its intention to publish notices to cease to maintain the school from the end of July 1995. However, the authority voted at a full council meeting on 28 June 1995, against the professional advice of its officers, to withdraw these notices.

  The resulting uncertainty has further weakened the school's position. The last Ofsted monitoring report noted that, although there had been some progress, GCSE results remained well below local and national levels, the standards achieved in lessons were inconsistent, pupil attendance was poor and a significant number of pupils displayed an unsatisfactory attitude to work. Meanwhile, pupil numbers have fallen to below 250.

  In these circumstances, my right hon. Friend is concerned that the LEA and governors may not be able to implement their action plans effectively. She has, therefore, today sent a letter to the director of education of Hackney education authority and the chairman of governors of Hackney Downs school stating that she is minded to create an education association and to transfer control of the school to that education association with effect from 1 September 1995.

  My right hon. Friend has invited comments on this proposal by Monday 24 July and will announce their decision shortly after that.

  Speech Therapy
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what is the cost to each local authority in the United Kingdom of speech therapy services to children in schools; [33505]

  (2) which local authorities in the United Kingdom make a contribution towards the cost of speech therapy services to school children; [33507]

  (3) how many speech therapy posts providing services to school children are being supported by each local authority in England and Wales. [33508]

  Mr. Paice
  This information is not collected centrally.

  The code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs provides guidance to schools and local authorities in England and Wales. It explains that the prime responsibility for the provision of speech therapy services to children rests with the NHS, and states that schools, LEAs and the NHS should co-operate closely in meeting the needs of children with communication problems.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what surveys have been undertaken by her Department, associated bodies or sponsored organisations into the incidence of difficulties with speech in the case of children in each county in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Paice
  Neither this Department nor any associated body has undertaken or funded such a survey. The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Health, is, however, funding the National Foundation for Educational Research to look at examples of good practice in the delivery of speech therapy to children.

  Technology Grants
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the schools that have been awarded technology grants since the scheme was introduced together with the amount awarded. [32470]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The technology colleges scheme was launched in September 1993, with the first schools designated to start operating as technology colleges from September 1994. The 85 schools which have been designated as technology colleges are in the following list. Each school receives a one-off capital grant of £100,000, plus additional recurrent annual funding of £100 per pupil to help implement its development plan. Capital and recurrent support awarded to these schools in 1994–95 and 1995–96 totals some £20 million. The schools are also benefiting from private and charitable sector sponsorship totalling over £8 million.

  Designated Technology Colleges

  Aldersley High School, Wolverhampton

  All Hallows Catholic School, Hampshire

  All Hallows RC High School, Lancashire

  All Saints Catholic School, Barking & Dagenham

  720

  Applemore Technology School, Hampshire

  Archbishop Temple School, Lancashire

  Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, Lancashire

  Baines School, Lancashire

  Banbury School, Oxfordshire

  Belper School, Derbyshire

  Bexley-Erith Technical High School for Boys, Bexley

  Bishop Stopford VA School, Northamptonshire

  Budmouth School, Dorset

  Cardinal Wiseman RC High School, Ealing

  Central Technology College, Gloucestershire

  The Chalfonts Community College, Buckinghamshire

  Chalvedon School, Essex

  Chatham Grammar School for Girls, Kent

  Cirencester Deer Park School, Gloucestershire

  Collingwood College, Surrey

  The Cornwallis School, Kent

  Cowes High School, Isle of Wight

  Deacon's School, Cambridgeshire

  Deanery High School, Wigan

  Denefield School, Berkshire

  Ercall Wood School, Shropshire

  Fallibroome High School, Cheshire

  George Spencer School, Nottinghamshire

  Glyn School, Surrey

  Greenwood Dale School, Nottinghamshire

  Hanson School, Bradford

  Hartshill GM School, Warwickshire

  Heathside School, Surrey

  Herschel Grammar School, Berkshire

  Hugh Christies School, Kent

  John Kelly Boys' Community School, Brent

  John Kelly Girls' Community School, Brent

  Kemnal Technology College, Bromley

  King Solomon High School, Redbridge

  The Kings School, Lincolnshire

  Knowles Hill School, Devon

  Lancaster Girls' Grammar School, Lancashire

  Lancaster Royal Grammar School, Lancashire

  The Latymer School, Enfield

  Lincoln School of Science and Technology, Lincolnshire

  Lodge Park School, Northamptonshire

  Lynn Grove High School, Norfolk

  The Merrill Community School, Derbyshire

  Mill Hill County High School, Barnet

  Moseley Park GM School, Wolverhampton

  New Wellington School, Trafford

  Norham Community High School, North Tyneside

  North Cumbria Technology College, Cumbria

  Northampton School for Boys, Northamptonshire Notre Dame School, Sheffield

  Ossett School, Wakefield

  The Philip Morant School, Essex

  Prospect School, Berkshire

  Prudhoe County High School, Northumberland

  Rastrick High School, Calderdale

  Ravens Wood School for Boys, Bromley

  Reading School, Berkshire

  Reddish Vale School, Stockport

  Saffron Walden County High School, Essex

  St. Aidan's C of E High School, Lancashire

  St. Alban's Catholic High School, Suffolk

  St. Angela's Ursuline Convent School, Newham

  Saint Bonaventure's School, Newham

  St. George's Technology School, Lincolnshire

  St. James's C of E School, Bolton

  St. John's RC Comprehensive School, Durham

  St. Peter's Collegiate School, Wolverhampton

  St. Thomas More School, Gateshead

  Sale Moor School, Trafford

  Sawston Village College, Cambridgeshire

  Sawtry Community College, Cambridgeshire

  Senacre Technology School, Kent

  721

  Small Heath School, Birmingham

  Soham Village College, Cambridgeshire

  Tring School, Hertfordshire

  Trinity C of E High School, Manchester

  Tudor Grange School, Solihull

  Uppingham Community College, Leicestershire

  Walbottle High School, Newcastle

  Wyvern College, Wiltshire

  Internet
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assistance her Department has made available to(a) local assistance authorities, (b) individual schools within the local education authority system and (c) grant-maintained schools to enable them to obtain the necessary computer hardware and software to have access to the Internet. [32860]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The Department provides support for information technology in schools through grants for education support and training and in the case of grant-maintained schools through special purpose grant (development). These initiatives have enabled the provision of substantial numbers of computers which could be connected to the Internet. It is, however, for individual schools to decide whether to invest in such connections. A number of pilot projects are exploring the educational value of the Internet and the National Council for Educational Technology has published guidance on the Internet for schools.

  Employment Issues (TUC Meetings)
  Mr. Macshane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she plans to meet representatives of the TUC to discuss employment issues. [33521]

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State does not have any current plans to meet representatives of the TUC to discuss employment issues. However, in her new role as Secretary of State for Education and Employment, she is likely to meet representatives from many organisations, representing both employers and employees and discuss a wide range of labour market issues with them.

  International Labour Organisation (Departmental Responsibility)
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if her Department will have responsibility for ILO matters. [33520]

  Mr. Forth
  Yes. Responsibility for the functions previously delivered within the Employment Department in this area will pass to the new Department for Education and Employment.

  Mr. Padraig Flynn
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she next expects to meet Mr. Padraig Flynn, European Social Affairs Commissioner. [33518]

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State looks forward to renewing her acquaintance with Mr. Flynn at the next meeting of the Social Affairs Council in October, if not sooner.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33611]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the then Minister for State of Employment on 19 May 1994, Official Report, column 243. There has been no further expenditure on employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes.

ENVIRONMENT

  Building Access (Disabled People)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has made in respect of surveying consumer satisfaction regarding the impact of part M accessibility; and if he will make a statement. [33769]

  Mr. Clappison
  My officials are in discussion with representatives of the Access Committee for England on the possibility of it undertaking a study in the current financial year into how part M of the building regulations is working in practice in providing access to buildings for disabled people.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department will publish further guidance regarding planning policy in respect of disabled access.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Some guidance on the provision of access for people with disabilities was contained in "planning policy guidance No. 1: General Policy and Principles". Further guidance is included in DOE circular 11/95, Welsh Office Circular 35/95: "The Use of Conditions in Planning Permissions", to be published on 20 July.

  Sheep Dips
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the Health and Safety Executive's contract research report No. 74/1995 on the neurological effects of sheep dips. [33773]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The cost of the research project on the neuropsychological and neurological effects of sheep dips was £212,222.51p.

  Sewerage Infrastructure
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the maintenance costs of the water sewerage infrastructure transfers to the statutory undertaker at no cost to the resident where estates transfer out of Government administration. [33970]

  Mr. Clappison
  It is open to any householder to seek to have private sewers adopted by the sewerage undertaker for the area. However, the maintenance of
  723
  drains between the house and public sewer and of water supply pipes between the house and the stopcock remains the householder's responsibility.

  Houses in Multiple Occupation
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his reasons for deciding not to introduce a national licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation. [34062]

  Mr. Clappison
  We have reviewed the arguments for and against introducing licensing for houses in multiple occupation. My Department announced last week new proposals to deal with HMOs. These will build on local authorities' existing powers. Full-scale licensing would be more bureaucratic and less flexible for local authorities.

  Urban Developments Corporations (Grants)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much grant in aid has been made available to each urban development corporation since 1981(a) at current prices and (b) at 1987 prices. [34140]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The amount of grant in aid made available to each urban development corporation between April 1981 and March 1995,(a) at current prices and (b) at 1987 prices, is set out in the table.

  £ millions

  Urban Development Corporations

  At current prices

  At 1987 prices

  London Docklands

  2,175.4

  1,478.2

  Merseyside

  465.9

  316.6

  Teesside

  308.9

  209.9

  Black Country

  334.7

  227.4

  Trafford Park

  204.0

  138.6

  Tyne and Wear

  299.2

  203.3

  Bristol

  87.8

  59.7

  Sheffield

  97.6

  66.3

  Central Manchester

  86.8

  59.0

  Leeds

  64.6

  43.9

  Birmingham Heartlands

  24.3

  16.5

  Plymouth

  16.6

  11.3

  Actual grant in aid paid to urban development corporations has been adjusted in line with her Majesty's Treasury's GDP deflator indices. Current prices are 1995–96 prices.

  Recycled Aggregate
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 26 June,Official Report, column 535, what guidance he has given to public sector clients to promote the use of recycled materials in the construction industry. [34329]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Government look to local authorities to examine how they can contribute to greater efficiency of use in construction contracts for which they are responsible. The guidance in minerals planning guidance note 6 asks planning authorities to identify alternative potential sources of suitable fill for trunk road schemes and asks highways authorities to make greater use of waste and recycled materials in their road construction projects. Department of Transport specifications already permit the use of certain waste 724
  materials in road construction and my Department has recently let a research contract to look at the scope for increasing such use. The reports on two further research projects into recycling of aggregates have just been published and provide some guidance to the construction industry on recycling possibilities. The Department proposes to establish an aggregates advisory service on a trial basis to draw on the results of the research and experience and to give advice to the construction industry and others on the recycling opportunities in order to reduce the demand for primary aggregates.

  Health and Safety Directives
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy with respect to qualified majority voting on EU health and safety directives; and if he will make a statement. [34184]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Qualified majority voting has applied to health and safety matters brought forward under article 118a since the Single European Act, which was signed in 1986, came into effect on 1 July 1987.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date or dates United Kingdom Ministers or officials sought to persuade the European Commission to agree a derogation for Sikh turban wearers from the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992. [34182]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  During the negotiations leading up to the adoption of the directive on the use of Personal Protective Equipment at Work on 30 November 1989, a number of representations were made seeking agreement to a derogation for Sikh turban wearers.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what dates United Kingdom representatives attempted to secure a European Council minutes statement concerning a derogation for Sikh turban wearers from the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations; what external legal advice has been obtained in respect of the legal force of the unilateral minutes statement entered by the United Kingdom; if he will place a copy of the relevant documents in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [34185]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  An attempt was made to secure a minutes statement from the Council and the Commission on 15 November 1989 but this was not successful. A unilateral minutes statement was entered by the United Kingdom at the Labour and Social Affairs Council on 30 November 1989; details are recorded in the Official Journal. Our legal advice however, is that a unilateral minute statement, as opposed to one agreed by the Council or the Commission, would provide no defence to a challenge to any exemption for Sikhs.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date or dates United Kingdom representatives sought to amend the personal protective equipment at work directive in the European Parliament; and if he will list how each EU country, including the UK, voted in each relevant vote. [34183]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  UK representatives sought to amend the directive on the use of personal protective equipment at work when it was considered by the
  725
  European Parliament Committee on Social Affairs, Employment and the Working Environment in August 1989. A further attempt was made when it was considered by the European Parliament on 13 September 1989. Details of European Parliament proceedings are recorded in the Official Journal, which is available in the Library.

  "State of the Construction Industry" Report
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to publish another "State of the Construction Industry" report. [35116]

  Mr. Gummer
  The latest "State of the Construction Industry" report, produced jointly by my Department and representatives of the construction industry, has just been completed. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Planning and Guidance (Peat)
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish new planning guidance on peat in England and if he will make a statement. [35117]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  We have published new planning guidance for peat in England today, in a new addition to the series of minerals planning guidance notes. This has taken account of the public consultation on the draft MPG in autumn 1994.

  The guidance will ensure the conservation of important peat habitats and archaeological sites, which should be protected in development plans. Some of these habitats are areas over which the peat extraction industry has voluntarily given up valid permissions and conveyed the land to English Nature.

  It spells out that any future peat extraction from new sites should be restricted to areas which have already been damaged by recent human activities and are of limited or no nature conservation value.

  The guidance on the horticultural usage of peat and of alternatives sets a realistic balance based on the best current assessments. In accordance with the principles of sustainable development, the Government believe it is realistic to set a target for 40 per cent. of the total horticultural market requirements to be supplied by non-peat materials within the next 10 years. We intend to monitor—initially, over the next three years—what further progress is made in increasing the usage of alternatives such as through the greater use of recycled and waste materials.

  The framework for updating old permissions for peat extraction, with particular emphasis on rehabilitation, has the support of the industry. The framework will have statutory force when the Environment Bill becomes law later this year, with the industry putting forward to mineral planning authorities updated schemes of conditions for their sites.

  Copies of the new guidance note are placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Waste Incinerator (Shoeburyness)
  Ms Joan Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the permit issued by Her Majesty's inspectorate of 726
  pollution in respect of DERA's explosive waste incinerator at Shoeburyness; [33981]

  (2) in which exempted category in the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 data on emissions from the explosive waste incinerator plant at Shoeburyness fall; and if he will make a statement; [33982]

  (3) what plans does he have to monitor the effect of emissions from the Avocet explosive waste incinerator system at Shoeburyness on the areas of special scientific interest in the Colne estuary, the Blackwater estuary, Dengie, the River Crouch marshes and Foulness; [33984]

  (4) what plans he has to permit the burning of munitions waste on open ground or a beach in the vicinity of the mid-Essex coast. [33985]

  Mr. Clappison
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: I have today placed a copy of the authorisation and a variation notice, issued by HMIP, in the House of Commons Library.

  The plant is required to meet the emission standards imposed on chemical waste incinerators. It will also have to comply with the EC directive on the burning of hazardous waste when this directive applies. Data on the emissions from the incinerator are not exempted from the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 and will be placed on the public registers.

  Prior to the granting of this authorisation, HMIP consulted English Nature, which was satisfied that the plant will not have an unacceptable effect on sites of special scientific interest in the local area.

  HMIP authorisation requires the operator to carry out an environmental monitoring programme. Soil and grass samples taken from several locations around the incinerator are to be analysed for dioxins and heavy metals.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what consultations his Department was involved in respect to the siting of the Avocet explosive waste incinerator system at Shoeburyness; and if he will make a statement. [33983]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: The Secretary of State was not consulted on the location of the Avocet waste incinerator system at the Ministry of Defence testing and evaluation facility at Shoeburyness as there was no requirement under planning legislation to do so. I understand, however, that the Ministry consulted the local planning authority, Rochford district council, on the siting of the system, and obtained the necessary authorisation for its operation from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. A second incinerator on the site has also been the subject of consultation with Rochford district council and the application for authorisation from HMIP is expected shortly.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what grounds Shoeburyness was chosen for the siting of the Avocet explosive waste incineration system. [33986]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

SCOTLAND

  Government Grant (Sewerage Services)
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much central Government paid to Scottish local authorities for the costs of sewerage services in 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96, and if he will break these figures down by authority. [33311]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 11 July 1995]: No Government grant is paid towards the costs of non-domestic sewerage which are fully funded by the non-domestic sewerage rate.

  Domestic sewerage is one of the range of local authority services which are supported by aggregate external finance, with the balance being met by the council tax. However, AEF is in general not hypothecated to particular services.

  In addition, grant aid towards sewerage services was provided for the three-year period 1991–94 by means of the sewerage improvement grant scheme. The total amount of grant paid through this scheme to the authorities over the three-year period was £130 million and the allocation, by authority for the last year of the grant 1993–94 are given in the table.

  Sewerage improvement grant 1993–94

  £000

  Borders

  1,284

  Central

  3,552

  Dumfries and Galloway

  2,125

  Fife

  5,983

  Grampian

  5,043

  Highland

  6,000

  Lothian

  5,628

  Strathclyde

  15,156

  Tayside

  6,376

  Orkney

  2,155

  Shetland

  1,072

  Western Isles

  626

  Scotland

  55,000

  Forestry Commission (Woodland Sales)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all Forestry Commission woodland sold in Scotland in 1994 by(a) property name, (b) county,(c) acreage, (d) sale price and (e) purchaser. [33756]

  Mr. Kynoch
  A list giving details of the areas of forest land sold by the Forestry Commission in 1994 is held in the Library of the House. The list shows the name of the purchaser and price paid where the purchaser has agreed that such information can be made public.

  Wartime Administration
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what facilities for(a) home defence, (b) civil defence, (c) the wartime administration of the police or armed forces and (d) the wartime administration of Departments of central Government have been provided at Kincardine, and what were the costs of establishing or maintaining such facilities. [33316]
  728
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: There are no facilities at Kincardine on Forth established to serve any of the purposes specified in this question.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what facilities for(a) home defence, (b) civil defence and (c) the wartime administration of the police or armed forces have been provided within the Connel Ferry; and what were the costs of establishing or maintaining such facilities since 1980. [33317]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 13 July 1995]: The Scottish Office has never been responsible for any such facilities at Connel Ferry. Premises at Connel Ferry which formed part of the Home Office's United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation, were sold following the disbandment of that organisation in 1991. No separate figures are available in respect of the costs of establishing and maintaining that facility from 1980 until it was sold.

  Cardiologists
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of specialist cardiologists in post in the NHS in Scotland; and if he will list the numbers for each of the previous five years. [33328]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: There are 25 consultants—23.3 whole-time equivalents—in cardiology in Scotland at 30 September 1994. The figures for the previous five years were:

  Year

  WTE

  1989

  15.7

  1990

  17.9

  1991

  18.9

  1992

  19.9

  1993

  22.5

  The figures do not take account of general physicians who have a special interest in cardiology.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which firms have won computer consultancy contracts from his Department and its agencies over the last five years; and what is the number of contracts per firm. [33885]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The number of contracts won by computer consultancy firms for work in my Department and its agencies in the last five financial years is as follows:

  Company

  Contracts

  CCTA Consultancy Services

  3

  CGC

  4

  Class Ltd.

  1

  Anthony Cook Associates

  1

  Coopers and Lybrand

  12

  Delphi Software Ltd.

  1

  Dun and Bradstreet

  1

  Edina Software Ltd.

  2

  Ernst and Young

  2

  729

  Company

  Contracts

  FI Group plc

  2

  Glenarch

  1

  Hoskyns

  6

  IBC

  1

  IT Counsel Ltd.

  2

  KPMG Management Consultants

  3

  Logica UK Ltd.

  3

  McKeown

  1

  Mouncey

  2

  Newell and Budge

  1

  Office Futures

  3

  Oracle Corporation

  6

  PA Consulting Group

  1

  Peter Hyde Consultancy

  1

  SAS Institute

  1

  SCET

  9

  SEMA Group Consulting

  3

  SPEC Systems Ltd.

  1

  Syntegra plc

  3

  Turing Institute

  1

  Usher

  1

  Valley Technology

  1

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much(a) health authorities and (b) trusts have spent on consultancy services in each year since 1992, by region. [34160]

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

  Unlawful Evictions
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each of the years since 1984 for Scotland as whole and by individual sheriffdom,(a) the number of reports made to the procurator fiscal in respect of private sector landlords carrying out unlawful evictions, (b) the number of prosecutions of private landlords for carrying out unlawful eviction and (c) the number of conviction. [31132]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total cost of the assisted places scheme in each year since the scheme was introduced. [33077]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The information requested is as follows.

  £ thousands

  School session

  Total cost

  1981–82

  799

  1982–83

  1,718

  1983–84

  2,454

  1984–85

  3,299

  1985–86

  4,217

  1986–87

  4,861

  1987–88

  5,310

  1988–89

  5,759

  1989–90

  6,681

  1990–91

  7,642

  1991–92

  8,706

  730

  £ thousands

  School session

  Total cost

  1992–93

  19,758

  1993–94

  110,127

  1994–95

  210,486

  1 Provisional figures pending receipt of audited from a few individual schools.

  2 Estimated.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the amount paid to independent schools under the assisted places scheme to cover(a) revenue expenditure and (b) capital expenditure in each year since the scheme was introduced. [33078]

  Mr. Robertson
  The amounts paid to participating schools are the total cost of fees and other incidental expenses remitted to parents under the assisted places scheme. No direct funding to cover schools' revenue or capital expenditure is provided under the scheme.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pupils are currently on an assisted places scheme; and what percentage that represents of the overall school population in(a) primary and (b) secondary education. [33079]

  Mr. Robertson
  In the 1994–95 school session, provisional figures indicate that 3,041 pupils received assistance under the assisted places scheme. Under the provisions of the scheme, grant is available only for those pupils undertaking wholly or mainly secondary education and this includes a small number of pupils in primary or transitory classes in some schools. The total represents 0.9 per cent. of the overall school population in secondary education, excluding special schools. The same figure represents 0.7 per cent. of the overall school population in primary education, excluding special schools.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children in the latest year for which figures are available were on an assisted places scheme whose households were in the bottom tenth of disposable income levels. [33080]

  Mr. Robertson
  Information on disposable incomes is not collected for the purposes of the assisted places scheme. Entitlement to fee remission under the scheme is based on gross family income.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the amount of grant(a) per head and (b) per pupil in local authority schools, for the assisted places scheme in the latest year for which figures are available. [33083]

  Mr. Robertson
  The average cost of an assisted place in school session 1994–95 is provisionally estimated at £3,448 per assisted pupil. That would equate to a grant of £13.92 per pupil in local authority schools.1
  1 Primary and secondary schools, but excluding special schools.
  731
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of places in the assisted places scheme in each year since the scheme was introduced. [33084]

  Mr. Robertson
  The information is as follows:

  School session

  Number of assisted pupils

  1981–82

  790

  1982–83

  1,450

  1983–84

  1,900

  1984–85

  2,265

  1985–86

  2,620

  1986–87

  2,626

  1987–88

  2,680

  1988–89

  2,695

  1989–90

  2,841

  1990–91

  2,861

  1991–92

  2,911

  1992–93

  13,038

  1993–94

  13,058

  Assisted places scheme Remission paid to schools

  School

  1981–82 £

  1982–83 £

  1983–84 £

  1984–85 £

  1985–86 £

  Aberlour School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Albyn School

  4,056

  6,546

  10,060

  14,703

  14,481

  Ardvreck School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Beaconhurst School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Bellhaven Hill School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Belmont House School

  4,021

  4,475

  2,930

  7,164

  16,394

  Blairmore School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Butterstone School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Cargilfield School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clifton Hall School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Craigclowan School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Craigholme School

  8,001

  17,187

  23,140

  23,982

  27,663

  Crawfordton House School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Croftinloan School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dollar Academy

  17,581

  26,811

  35,032

  49,500

  73,363

  Drumley House School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Edinburgh Academy

  14,556

  34,367

  36,956

  56,385

  82,777

  Fernhill School

  5,235

  14,731

  25,902

  37,739

  51,703

  Fettes College

  19,255

  39,740

  50,401

  55,085

  75,426

  Fort Augustus Abbey School

  14,177

  26,701

  49,720

  75,730

  94,679

  George Heriot's School

  51,441

  108,647

  172,549

  237,383

  315,382

  George Watson's College

  (included with Stewart's Melville and the Mary Erskine School—Edinburgh Merchant Co.)

  Glasgow Academy

  12,974

  24,668

  46,380

  58,644

  69,250

  Glenalmond College

  10,222

  33,046

  60,467

  92,503

  104,790

  Gordonstoun School

  12,630

  20,213

  32,279

  53,433

  66,019

  Hamilton College

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  High School of Dundee

  52,690

  110,612

  142,685

  185,286

  235,525

  High School of Glasgow

  16,782

  32,411

  38,621

  67,565

  80,585

  Hutchesons' Grammar School

  50,880

  86,933

  117,366

  145,719

  166,283

  Keil School

  17,734

  28,005

  63,646

  89,564

  101,903

  Kelvinside Academy

  25,540

  39,209

  40,819

  66,860

  87,338

  Kilgraston School

  3,950

  11,415

  34,555

  45,588

  73,296

  Kilquhanity School

  —

  7,637

  13,161

  19,928

  29,537

  Lathallan School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Laurel Bank School

  21,649

  48,347

  71,483

  74,662

  94,672

  Lomond School

  10,184

  18,600

  25,632

  50,660

  63,696

  Loretto School

  8,367

  22,594

  38,676

  54,650

  58,547

  Merchiston Castle School

  16,630

  41,492

  63,293

  88,882

  131,780

  Morrison's Academy

  31,744

  74,684

  120,955

  159,754

  209,433

  New Park School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Oxenfoord Castle School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Park Lodge School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  The Park School

  23,226

  48,159

  65,359

  75,199

  84,865

  Rannoch School

  6,891

  16,710

  29,402

  38,132

  49,794

  Robert Gordon's College

  5,753

  17,831

  35,160

  52,979

  65,429

  732

  School session

  Number of assisted pupils

  1994–95

  13,041

  1 Provisional figures pending receipt of final audited claims.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much subsidy went to each school under the assisted places scheme in each year for which figures are available. [33085]

  Mr. Robertson
  The assisted places scheme does not provide any subsidy to participating schools. Payments by the Scottish Office to schools consist of an allocation of fee remission grant and other incidental expenses. The schools may allocate individual grants up to the total to parents whose children have qualified for assistance under the scheme. Information on the total amounts of fee remission and incidental expenses paid to participating schools is available for school sessions 1981–82 to 1994–95 inclusive.
  733

  Assisted places scheme Remission paid to schools

  School

  1981–82 £

  1982–83 £

  1983–84 £

  1984–85 £

  1985–86 £

  Rudolf Steiner School, Edinburgh

  5,068

  24,583

  40,980

  61,338

  80,013

  St. Aloysius College

  35,978

  87,715

  128,323

  149,494

  176,376

  St. Columba's School

  21,829

  43,705

  46,961

  53,797

  68,110

  St. Denis and Cranley School

  6,644

  9,822

  14,838

  21,663

  32,495

  St. George's School

  —

  —

  9,951

  16,935

  23,898

  St. Hilary's School

  4,858

  (Merged with St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh)

  St. Leonard's School

  3,198

  10,636

  23,120

  39,575

  40,532

  St. Margaret's Convent School

  5,133

  10,282

  12,584

  17,815

  9,670

  St. Margaret's School, Aberdeen

  2,277

  4,788

  8,037

  14,704

  18,526

  St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh

  9,715

  23,777

  50,868

  64,389

  88,436

  St. Mary's School, Melrose

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Stewart's Melville College and the Mary Erskine School

  205,911

  449,158

  528,924

  663,598

  853,818

  Strathallan School

  —

  13,371

  30,188

  60,751

  93,130

  Wellington School

  —

  2,742

  19,784

  37,419

  55,446

  Westbourne School

  32,243

  76,135

  93,199

  119,304

  152,174

  Total

  799,023

  1,718,485

  2,454,386

  3,298,461

  4,217,234

  1 Provisional figures pending receipt of final audited claims from schools.

  Assisted places scheme Remission paid to schools

  School

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  Aberlour School

  —

  —

  —

  17,501

  27,331

  Albyn School

  23,200

  26,852

  31,116

  41,376

  51,747

  Ardvreck School

  —

  —

  —

  2,777

  5,785

  Beaconhurst School

  —

  —

  —

  3,756

  11,676

  Belhaven Hill School

  —

  —

  —

  11,989

  8,484

  Belmount House School

  22,037

  30,926

  36,917

  46,918

  49,083

  Blairmore School

  —

  —

  —

  5,948

  15,058

  Butterstone School

  —

  —

  —

  6,348

  12,624

  Cargilfield School

  —

  —

  —

  10,425

  17,547

  Clifton Hall School

  —

  —

  —

  11,312

  18,637

  Craigclowan School

  —

  —

  —

  10,839

  16,225

  Craigholme School

  34,044

  42,158

  51,317

  67,548

  85,924

  Crawfordton House School

  —

  —

  —

  13,420

  19,219

  Croftinloan School

  —

  —

  —

  13,350

  15,278

  Dollar Academy

  84,220

  99,923

  115,546

  130,540

  145,185

  Drumley House School

  —

  —

  —

  12,828

  15,116

  Edinburgh Academy

  92,105

  94,858

  113,014

  134,944

  166,508

  Fernhill School

  61,516

  64,669

  63,937

  46,687

  55,159

  Fettes College

  83,265

  93,060

  101,191

  134,472

  151,610

  Fort Augustus Abbey School

  111,336

  110,700

  107,450

  105,345

  134,983

  George Heriot's School

  353,230

  397,293

  427,484

  486,666

  531,754

  George Watson's College

  —

  —

  —

  506,852

  575,268

  Glasgow Academy

  70,723

  79,471

  74,168

  89,605

  107,175

  Glenalmond College

  111,574

  124,965

  143,697

  145,745

  166,502

  Gordonstoun School

  73,417

  82,204

  91,513

  108,155

  124,412

  Hamilton College

  —

  —

  —

  12,591

  15,725

  High School of Dundee

  270,669

  309,400

  330,043

  387,281

  454,337

  High School of Glasgow

  95,600

  100,843

  87,364

  71,268

  82,074

  Hutchesons' Grammar School

  183,088

  205,125

  223,351

  255,370

  301,004

  Keil School

  105,449

  117,456

  129,698

  152,685

  174,156

  Kelvinside Academy

  99,939

  112,809

  121,290

  137,390

  161,317

  Kilgarston School

  90,430

  98,374

  114,354

  120,210

  142,624

  Kilquhanity School

  30,091

  34,354

  39,002

  41,146

  41,398

  Lathallan School

  —

  —

  —

  16,874

  17,563

  Laurel Bank School

  113,962

  128,202

  151,674

  160,687

  161,490

  Lomond School

  80,848

  88,898

  97,986

  105,236

  101,807

  Loretto School

  74,226

  81,711

  94,012

  118,549

  139,628

  Merchiston Castle School

  149,477

  167,206

  180,744

  218,085

  249,586

  Morrison's Academy

  238,430

  267,296

  295,408

  339,309

  347,790

  New Park School

  —

  —

  —

  7,888

  10,017

  Oxenfoord Castle School

  —

  —

  —

  11,987

  25,838

  Park Lodge School

  —

  —

  —

  1,089

  —

  The Park School

  94,875

  116,530

  147,616

  152,808

  192,881

  Rannoch School

  63,169

  68,081

  77,343

  101,463

  119,766

  734

  735

  Assisted places scheme Remission paid to schools

  School

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  Robert Gordon's College

  75,857

  79,362

  94,486

  116,513

  128,557

  Rudolf Steiner School, Edinburgh

  91,274

  98,283

  110,877

  127,413

  136,397

  St. Aloysius College

  212,434

  231,765

  259,995

  295,900

  330,424

  St. Colomba's School

  91,642

  97,841

  80,870

  95,467

  83,327

  St. Denis and Cranley School

  40,677

  41,471

  56,241

  76,908

  91,509

  St. George's School

  27,446

  31,512

  37,227

  40,371

  52,130

  St. Hilary's School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  St. Leonard's School

  49,451

  53,692

  63,324

  75,795

  113,765

  St. Margaret's Convent School

  (School closed 30 June 1986)

  St. Margaret's School, Aberdeen

  17,883

  23,404

  24,235

  33,545

  41,987

  St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh

  102,787

  107,711

  121,628

  154,491

  182,386

  St. Mary's School, Melrose

  —

  —

  —

  6,030

  9,936

  Stewart's Melville College and the Mary Erskine School

  1,006,057

  1,054,024

  1,089,782

  647,807

  686,814

  Strathallan School

  113,944

  122,736

  136,720

  187,165

  215,432

  Wellington School

  66,763

  72,949

  84,849

  108,121

  129,636

  Westbourne Shool

  154,015

  151,647

  151,073

  137,705

  172,304

  Total

  4,861,150

  5,309,761

  5,758,542

  6,681,213

  7,641,895

  Assisted places scheme Remission paid to schools

  School

  1991–92 £

  1992–931 £

  1993–19941 £

  1994–951 £

  Aberlour School

  27,865

  34,273

  35,870

  33,255

  Albyn School

  55,279

  48,960

  52,862

  69,591

  Ardvreck School

  9,180

  12,017

  21,819

  22,317

  Beaconhurst School

  18,589

  30,475

  41,530

  28,461

  Belhaven Hill School

  9,798

  7,921

  4,862

  9,789

  Belmont House School

  60,329

  67,488

  75,103

  78,623

  Blairmore School

  11,202

  5,931

  (School closed)

  Butterstone School

  18,283

  8,297

  17,236

  23,817

  Cargilfield School

  19,128

  19,557

  18,002

  12,897

  Clifton Hall School

  22,755

  28,546

  27,320

  28,502

  Craigclowan School

  20,000

  22,000

  25,256

  24,366

  Craigholme School

  93,539

  108,118

  129,501

  134,235

  Crawfordton House School

  22,456

  25,225

  23,269

  22,913

  Croftinloan School

  16,359

  20,500

  20,525

  20,768

  Dollar Academy

  150,017

  182,827

  200,818

  217,875

  Drumley House School

  10,049

  10,790

  9,259

  6,244

  Edinburgh Academy

  191,777

  209,884

  224,913

  232,894

  Fernhill School

  63,846

  79,726

  85,387

  78,155

  Fettes College

  174,548

  199,763

  206,073

  204,576

  Fort Augustus Abbey School

  170,400

  139,717

  (School closed)

  George Heriot's School

  596,848

  656,167

  675,791

  704,629

  George Watson's College

  639,740

  676,825

  675,093

  751,969

  Glasgow Academy

  301,839

  342,726

  343,728

  329,647

  Glenalmond College

  190,588

  215,022

  241,970

  257,323

  Gordonstoun School

  144,094

  160,982

  170,862

  182,064

  Hamilton College

  22,101

  27,653

  24,589

  26,938

  High School of Dundee

  462,132

  552,324

  576,339

  591,342

  High School of Glasgow

  102,007

  127,101

  136,969

  146,057

  Hutcheson's Grammar school

  356,361

  415,271

  457,459

  478,942

  Keil School

  198,819

  223,879

  227,968

  241,248

  Kelvinside Academy

  213,982

  266,852

  306,797

  319,404

  Kilgraston School

  164,519

  185,757

  191,918

  190,586

  Kilquhanity School

  46,218

  50,548

  55,115

  34,082

  Lathallan School

  19,869

  25,720

  27,769

  28,244

  Laurel Bank School

  173,937

  167,453

  207,312

  232,914

  Lomond School

  133,431

  158,944

  179,150

  186,227

  Loretto School

  159,046

  186,283

  194,058

  198,413

  Merchiston Castle School

  281,393

  315,586

  323,959

  320,000

  Morrison's Academy

  410,247

  432,107

  432,788

  417,900

  New Park school

  10,944

  14,000

  18,250

  15,839

  Oxenfoord Castle School

  38,622

  41,626

  (School closed)

  Park Lodge School

  2,598

  621

  —

  —

  The Park School

  217,964

  238,977

  244,944

  247,987

  Rannoch School

  139,248

  158,770

  173,910

  179,336

  736

  737

  Assisted places scheme Remission paid to schools

  School

  1991–92 £

  1992–931 £

  1993–19941 £

  1994–951 £

  Robert Gordon's College

  150,951

  169,147

  179,684

  204,100

  Rudolf Steiner School, Edinburgh

  159,714

  179,420

  182,345

  189,833

  St. Aloysius College

  380,134

  433,125

  443,787

  472,009

  St. Columba's School

  115,778

  121,144

  123,652

  117,231

  St. Denis and Cranley School

  99,836

  120,775

  124,529

  128,909

  St. George's School

  64,959

  85,210

  91,186

  124,054

  St. Hilary's School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  St. Leonard's School

  131,000

  147,826

  168,453

  166,791

  St. Margaret's Convent School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  St. Margaret's School, Aberdeen

  42,501

  53,678

  58,813

  53,310

  St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh

  213,688

  241,220

  254,540

  271,812

  St. Mary's School, Melrose

  2,100

  7,602

  7,928

  15,992

  Stewart's Melville College & the Mary Erskine School

  766,689

  840,210

  895,062

  912,595

  Strathallan School

  243,000

  272,640

  294,506

  299,342

  Wellington School

  144,149

  183,265

  196,446

  199,388

  Westbourne School

  (Merged with Glasgow Academy)

  Total

  8,706,445

  9,758,471

  10,127,274

  10,485,735

  1 (Provisional figures pending receipt of final audited claims from schools).

  Teacher Shortages
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what(a) current and (b) future shortages of qualified teachers he has identified and in which secondary school subjects; and if he will indicate the extent of the shortage. [33081]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Measured at national level there are no significant shortages of qualified teache's in Scotland in either the primary or secondary sectors. At local level, individual vacancies can sometimes be hard to fill for a range of reasons. Teacher education institutions are encouraged to work closely with education authorities to match supply to demand at local level. For the secondary sector, the Scottish Office Education Department recommends that up to three quarters of the annual intake to teacher training courses should be in specific subjects which have been agreed with education authorities as priorities in supply terms. Statistical bulletin Edn/B7/1995/2, a copy of which has been placed in the Library, sets out the most recent information on demand for and supply of teachers.

  Teaching Qualifications
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of students in each secondary school subject who achieved a teaching qualification at a Scottish teacher training establishment in(a) 1994, (b) 1989 and (c) 1984. [33082]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The information is set out in the table.

  Students achieving a teaching qualification

  1984

  1989

  11994

  Total

  999

  455

  1,309

  English

  137

  32

  151

  History

  26

  11

  57

  Geography

  48

  12

  51

  Modern Studies

  7

  13

  51

  French

  48

  21

  103

  German

  16

  3

  34

  738

  Students achieving a teaching qualification

  1984

  1989

  11994

  Spanish

  4

  0

  11

  Gaelic

  3

  2

  3

  Other Modern Languages

  3

  0

  4

  Latin/Greek

  4

  0

  7

  Mathematics

  124

  60

  147

  Computing

  0

  19

  57

  Biology

  23

  24

  56

  Chemistry

  47

  31

  49

  Physics

  39

  32

  70

  Art

  44

  22

  74

  Business Studies

  29

  25

  67

  Home Economics

  64

  16

  32

  Physical Education

  122

  58

  84

  Music

  57

  22

  68

  Speech and Drama

  20

  9

  16

  Technical Education

  91

  17

  73

  Religious Education

  39

  26

  42

  Others

  4

  0

  2

  1 Provisional.

  School Boards
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) secondary, (b) primary and (c) special schools have boards; and what is the percentage of the total in each category. [33286]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Number and percentage of eligible education authority schools with a school board at May 1994

  Sector

  Number of eligible schools with a school board

  Percentage of eligible schools with a school board

  Primary1

  1,724

  74.0

  Secondary

  376

  92.6

  Special

  66

  46.5

  1 Includes primary departments of secondary schools.

  739

  Pupil Expenditure
  Sir Harold Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the unit cost per pupil in each Scottish local education authority for 1993–94 for(a) nursery-primary and (b) secondary pupils. [34326]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Information on annual budgeted expenditure for each primary and secondary school in Scotland, and per pupil for each such school, is contained in reports published annually since 1993 by the audit unit of Her Majesty's inspectors of schools. A copy of the most recent report, "Scottish Schools: Costs 1993/94 and 1994/95", has been placed in the Library.

  Thefts where the main firearm stolen was a shotgun

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Police Force

  Domestic

  Other

  Domestic

  Other

  Domestic

  Other

  Domestic

  Other

  Domestic

  Other

  Central

  2

  0

  1

  0

  1

  2

  6

  0

  0

  0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  1

  2

  2

  3

  0

  Fife

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  Grampian

  4

  2

  4

  1

  6

  1

  4

  1

  4

  0

  Lothian and Borders

  4

  0

  15

  0

  5

  1

  10

  1

  9

  1

  Northern

  1

  1

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  Strathclyde

  19

  0

  12

  1

  21

  2

  14

  7

  14

  2

  Tayside

  4

  1

  2

  2

  5

  1

  10

  2

  4

  4

  Scotland

  34

  5

  34

  5

  41

  8

  46

  14

  36

  7

  Thefts where the main firearm stolen was a firearm other than a shotgun1

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Police Force

  Domestic

  Other

  Domestic

  Other

  Domestic

  Other

  Domestic

  Other

  Domestic

  Other

  Central

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  2

  2

  1

  Fife

  1

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  0

  1

  Grampian

  0

  3

  3

  2

  4

  2

  2

  4

  5

  4

  Lothian and Borders

  7

  3

  15

  3

  11

  5

  10

  9

  4

  2

  Northern

  1

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  Strathclyde

  6

  2

  13

  3

  11

  9

  13

  9

  17

  13

  Tayside

  3

  1

  2

  0

  11

  5

  3

  3

  0

  4

  Scotland

  18

  9

  33

  9

  40

  22

  31

  28

  29

  25

  1 Excludes airweapons.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many homicides involving(a) shotguns and (b) other firearms have taken place in each police force in each of the last five years; and how many of the victims in each case were women. [34137]

  Homicides where the main firearm used was shotgun

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Police Force

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Central

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Fife

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Grampian

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  Lothian and Borders

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  Northern

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Strathclyde

  1

  1

  0

  0

  1

  1

  3

  0

  1

  0

  Tayside

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Scotland

  3

  3

  0

  0

  1

  2

  5

  0

  2

  0

  740

  Firearms
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many thefts of(a) shotguns and (b) other firearms took place in each police force in each of the last five years from (i) domestic premises and (ii) from other premises in each police force area. [34190]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The tables detail the number of thefts in which the main firearm stolen was a shotgun or other firearm. The information is disaggregated by location of theft—domestic premises or other premises—and is provided by police force area for each of the past five years. For the purposes of this response domestic premises have been defined to be dwellings and farms and the "other" premises category includes, for example, shops, offices, factories, places of public entertainment and other locations. Thefts from motor vehicles have been excluded.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The tables detail the number of homicides recorded in each police force area for the last five years where the main firearm used was shotgun or other firearm. Male and female victims are identified separately.
  741

  Homicides where the main firearm used was a firearm other than a shotgun

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Police Force

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Central

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  Fife

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Grampian

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lothian and Borders

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Northern

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Strathclyde

  0

  0

  2

  0

  4

  0

  1

  0

  5

  0

  Tayside

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Scotland

  0

  0

  3

  0

  4

  0

  1

  0

  6

  0

  Allowances
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what data is held by(a) his Department and (b) the NHS executive on expenditure on trust board and health authority members' allowances. [34143]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Financial data for health boards and NHS trusts are submitted to the management executive in Scotland in the form of annual accounts, monthly monitoring returns and annual business reports. From these it is possible to identify total remuneration expenditure for non-executive and executive board members collectively. Remuneration of the chairman and highest paid member is identified separately. Details of remuneration for the other members are provided in bands of £5,000 starting at nil. Details of the board members' allowances, notably travel expenses, are not specifically itemised and will form part of more general accounting data.

  Clinical Negligence Claims
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what have been the costs of meeting clinical negligence claims in each region in each year since 1990. [34174]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In Scotland, the regional functions of the NHS are administered by health boards. Given the small number of cases in certain health boards, it is not appropriate on the grounds of confidentiality to publish the information in the form requested. The total amounts of damages awarded and total legal costs, for all health boards and NHS trusts in Scotland for the years 1990–91 to 1994–95 are given in the table.

  Total amount of damages awarded £

  Total amount of legal costs £

  Total £

  1990–91

  1,161,430

  165,650

  1,327,080

  1991–92

  1,021,984

  121,167

  1,143,151

  1992–93

  1,056,660

  158,967

  1,215,627

  1993–94

  582,420

  63,618

  646,038

  1994–95

  1860,412

  182,589

  1943,001

  1 Provisional.

  742

  Executive Agencies (Annual Report and Accounts)
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the annual report and accounts of the Registers of Scotland executive agency will be published. [34717]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Copies of the annual report and accounts have today been laid before both Houses.

  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the annual report and accounts of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency will be published. [34718]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Copies of the annual report and accounts of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency have today been laid before both Houses.

  Monklands District Council
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whom he intends to appoint to conduct the inquiry into Monklands district council and if he will make a statement. [34719]

  Mr. Kynoch
  Under the powers conferred on him by section 211 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 my right hon. Friend has appointed Mr. William A. Nimmo Smith QC to conduct the inquiry. The formal terms of reference will be as follows:"To inquire into the question whether Monklands District Council have failed to comply with the duty imposed on them under section 7 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to make appointments to paid office or employment on merit and to report thereon."

  The recent publication of Professor Black's report attracted widespread indignation and concern about the allegations therein. In the circumstances it is hoped that everyone who has relevant information will co-operate fully with the inquiry.

  Water Authorities
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce appointments to the new Scottish water authorities and to the Water and Sewerage Customers Council. [34876]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I can announce today the appointment of 29 members to the new public water authorities; their names are set out below. These appointments, together with those of the chairmen and chief executives already announced, bring the membership of two authorities to 12, the maximum permitted by legislation, and one to 11.
  743
  Half the appointments will go to elected councillors. Of the 14 councillors announced today, nine are independents and five are Conservatives. Five senior Labour councillors were invited to serve: all declined, in some cases publicising their decision in the press. One vacancy remains unfilled.

  The rest of today's appointments bring to the authority a range of skills and experience of the water industry business or finance. The authorities are now well placed to deliver high-quality, efficient water and sewerage services and to attract additional new investment from private finance.

  The three new water authorities are public sector bodies which will forge a partnership with the providers of private sector funds to produce the greatest benefit in terms of quality of service and value for money for the people of Scotland. This is a novel and imaginative approach and I expect that all involved will play their part in ensuring its success.

  I can also announce today that Mr. Dick Douglas has accepted my invitation to become chairman of the new Water and Sewerage Customers Council. The rest of the membership will be appointed in the coming weeks. Mr. Douglas responded to the public advertisement for the position and as a former Member of this House is well known for his independence and vigour. I am confident that under his leadership the interests of customers will be ably championed.

  Those appointed to the North of Scotland water authority are:
  Denis Addly, Councillor Raymond Bisset, Councillor Joan Eastern, Councillor Nigel J. O. Graham, Andrew D. F. Lewis, Alasdair N. MacCallum, Councillor Olwyn J. Macdonald, Nicolas McAndrew, Councillor Donald I. Nicholson, David R. Paton.

  Those appointed to the East of Scotland water authority are:
  Disney Barlow, Robin Bell, Councillor Ian J. Berry, Councillor Ian Galloway, Councillor Tom Kerr, Councillor Pat McCafferty, Harry O'Hanlon, Sir Francis McWilliams, Roy Summers.

  Those appointed to the West of Scotland water authority are:
  Norman S. M. Berry, Councillor Mungo Bryson, Sir Robert Easton, John M. Goodwin, David M. Gray, Peter N. B. Kennedy, Councillor William Petrie, Councillor Robert R. Reid, Provost Leslie Rosin, Councillor Ian R. Young.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  National Physical Laboratory
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress he has made towards introducing private sector management into the National Physical Laboratory. [35049]

  Mr. Lang
  The intention to introduce private sector management to the National Physical Laboratory was announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) on 14 April 1994. A detailed investigation to tender was made available in December to five bidding consortia selected from among those expressing interest. In May, the Department selected two 744
  consortia as shortlisted bidders and in late June, Serco became the preferred bidder for final negotiations. These are now complete and Serco, in collaboration with AEA Technology and Loughborough university as subcontractors for particular tasks, has been selected to become the contractor to manage the laboratory and deliver the Department's measurement programmes for the next five years. Serco, which will take over on 1 October, offered better value for money than either its nearest competitor or the benchmark of NPL continuing as an agency. All but a few of the laboratory's staff will transfer to Serco, which will purchase some of the assets of the laboratory. The DTI will lease other assets together with the buildings to Serco for the duration of the contract.

  The contract includes incentives on the contractor to develop the business of the laboratory and to improve efficiency. The existing management have made substantial progress in these areas during NPL's period as an agency of the Department, but I am sure that private sector management will bring additional commercial freedoms and skills to NPL's work. The contract also requires NPL to maintain its status as one of the world's greatest metrology laboratories and as a centre of excellence for all aspects of measurement. I am confident that under commercial management the laboratory will be even better able to fulfil this vital role. As part of the arrangements to ensure this, the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering have agreed to advise me on the maintenance of the long-term capability and standing of the laboratory.

  London Commodity Exchange
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make a statement about the takeover bid for the London Commodity Exchange made by the Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange of New York, and its implications for cocoa and coffee processing companies operating in the United Kingdom; [34317]

  (2) if his Department intends to review the decision to sell the United Kingdom's share of the buffer stock of cocoa beans following the New York Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange's take-over bid for the London Commodity Exchange; [34313]

  (3) what representations he has made to the Director General of Fair Trading in respect of the bid by the Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange of New York to take over the London Commodity Exchange. [34318]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  If this is a qualifying merger, the relevant competition authorities will need to consider the takeover. If it falls to the UK competition authorities, the Director General of Fair Trading will advise my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade whether to refer the merger to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. In giving his advice, the DGFT will take into account third party views and any other relevant factors.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions Her Majesty's Government have had with(a) the European Commission and (b) other Governments of EU member states about the take-over bid for the London Commodity Exchange. [34314]
  745
  Mr. Evans
  None. If such a takeover fell to the United Kingdom competition authorities, then any plans which a company might have to acquire the London Commodity Exchange would be a matter for discussions with the Director General of Fair Trading who has a duty under the Fair Trading Act 1973 to advise my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on whether any qualifying mergers should be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Departmental Responsibilities
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the former Department of Employment's responsibilities his Department has now taken on; and which Minister is in charge of each area of responsibility. [34043]

  Mr. Lang
  My Department has taken over the former Employment Department group's responsibilities for industrial relations policy and legislation, pay issues, redundancy payments; and sponsorship of the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service and the Industrial Tribunals. My hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Evans) will be responsible for these matters, and will report to me.

  President of the Board of Trade (Salary)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the present annual salary of the President of the Board of Trade. [34004]

  Mr. Lang
  My ministerial salary as President of the Board of Trade is £42,834 per annum. In addition, I receive a reduced parliamentary salary of £24,985 per annum.

  Government Regional Office
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment his Department has made of the benefits to industry of opening the Government's regional offices; and if he will make a statement. [33554]

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: The Government offices for the English regions and the expanding network of business links provide single points of contact for local businesses on a range of issues.

  Business Link
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 4 July,Official Report, column 625, in what circumstances he would relax the accreditation procedure for continued use of the Business Link brand. [33547]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: In order to ensure that all businesses have access to high quality support, there will be no relaxation of the accreditation standards. However, if the reasons for failure are unlikely to affect the service received by clients, the Business Link Accreditation Board will have discretion to recommend a temporary extension of the licences to use the Business Link brand, provided that the business link has effective plans for remedying the shortfall. The implementation of those plans will be checked at the next regular surveillance visit.
  746
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 4 July,Official Report, column 625, what options his Department has considered to ensure that small businesses have access to quality business advice if he accepts a recommendation from the Business Links Accreditation Board that their local business link should have its licence to use the Business Link branch withdrawn. [33548]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: Should an individual business link licence be withdrawn, agreement would be sought with a neighbouring accredited business link to provide the access to high quality support services.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the latest regional statistics available of the share of inward investment projects coming to Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the regions of England; and what share Wales has received from the latest data available of all inward investment projects coming from(a) Japan, (b) North America and (c) Europe. [34249]

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. Friend the then President of the Board of Trade announced on 4 July 1995,Official Report, columns, 145–46 that a record number of 434 inward investment projects were notified to the Invest in Britain Bureau in 1994–95. The regional breakdown of this total is as follows:

  Number

  Per cent.

  Wales

  50

  11.5

  Scotland

  81

  18.7

  Northern Ireland

  22

  5.1

  East

  12

  2.8

  East Midlands

  44

  10.1

  North East

  38

  8.7

  North West

  49

  11.3

  South East

  37

  8.5

  South West

  21

  4.3

  West Midlands

  62

  14.3

  Yorkshire/Humberside

  18

  4.1

  Wales's share of all projects coming from the specified countries was as follows:

  Per cent.

  Japan

  11.4 (5 of 44)

  North America

  11.8 (25 of 212)

  Europe

  13.6 (19 of 140)

  All the above figures are based on numbers of projects notified to the Invest in Britain Bureau at the time of the decision to invest. Companies are under no obligation to notify their investment decisions and the figures take no account of subsequent developments.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33457]
  747
  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State to his questions last year on 5 May 1994 and 16 June 1994,Official Report, column 604 and columns 428–29. The Comptroller and Auditor General has not published any additional reports on privatisations undertaken by the DTI since then.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which firms of consultants employed by his Department over the last year have been paid more than £1,000 per day. [33880]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: The information is not collected and cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much his Department and its agencies have spent on computer consultancy in each of the last five years; and what is the expected expenditure over the next five years. [33861]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: Figures prior to 1992–93 are not readily available and cannot be provided other than at disproportionate cost. Due to the devolvement of budgets for computer consultancy, the following figures represent only the expenditure made through the central IT procurement section.

  Year

  Thousand

  1992–93

  6,212

  1993–94

  4,671

  1994–95

  4,137

  It is not possible to provide expected expenditure over the next five years other than at disproportionate cost due to budget devolvement. Information available on forecast expenditure by the central computer section on consultancy support for corporate projects over the next three years is as follows—estimates are not available for the final two years:

  Year

  £ thousand

  1995–96

  1,181

  1996–97

  861

  1997–98

  824

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which firms have won computer consultancy contracts from his Department and its agencies over the last five years; and what is the number of contracts per firm. [33892]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: This information is not held centrally and it cannot be provided other than at disproportionate cost. However, following an open tender procurement, the Department has set up framework agreements with the following companies enabling the Department's management units and agencies to call off computer consultancy support as required.

  Admiral Management Services Ltd.

  ASE Consulting

  CMG Computer Management Group (UK) Ltd

  748

  Coopers and Lybrand

  Cray Systems Ltd.

  CSS Trident Ltd.

  CSC Computer Sciences Ltd.

  EFD Total System Consultants Ltd.

  Kermon Ltd.

  KPMG Management Consulting

  Logica UK Ltd.

  PA Consulting Group

  Parity Systems Ltd.

  SEMA Group Systems Ltd.

  Secure Information Systems Ltd.

  Touche Ross and Co.

  Triad Special Systems Ltd.

  The agreements were finalised in August 1994 and cover a period of up to five years.

  Staff (Shareholdings)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many staff in his Department or its agencies have(a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years indicating the companies concerned. [33422]

  Mr. Lang
  Each senior official and special adviser is required to make a declaration of his or her financial interests including company shareholdings. This enables the Department to prevent potential conflicts of interest arising. In the case of other officials, conflicts of interest are dealt with by their line management. Records are not kept centrally.

  Aerospace (Outsourcing)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the value of outsourcing in the United Kingdom by Japanese companies working in the aerospace sector for each year since 1990. [33768]

  Mr. Eggar
  No such estimate has been made.

  Tunnel Boring Machines
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many United Kingdom companies manufacture tunnel boring machines of the kind capable of boring the tunnels of the proposed channel tunnel rail link. [33819]

  Mr. Page
  We know of a number of United Kingdom manufacturing firms which make large tunnel boring machines. The precise type of tunnelling machines suitable for the channel tunnel rail link would depend upon the type of tunnelling methods chosen by they contractor after taking into account the ground conditions.

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Sir Michael Shersby
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the effect of changes to the loan guarantee scheme announced since 1992. [32576]

  Mr. Page
  Since the changes that took place in April 1993 and July 1993, lending under the scheme has increased considerably.
  749
  In the financial year to 31 March 1994, 3,886 scheme loans were guaranteed at a value of £155 million compared to 2,342 loans at a value of £52 million in the previous year. In the year to 31 March 1995, 6,207 loans were guaranteed to a value of £246 million. This represents the highest level of lending since the scheme began in 1981.

  We are currently guaranteeing over 600 loans a month.

  British Coal (Recreational Estate)
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the planned transfer of British Coal's recreational estate to the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation and to the National Playing Fields Association. [33118]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: It is the Government's objective that British Coal land currently in active use for sport and recreation is retained for those purposes.

  I hope to be in a position to make a further announcement shortly.

PRIME MINISTER

  West Midlands (Visit)
  Mr. Thomason
  To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has to visit the west midlands and the Bromsgrove constituency in particular. [32466]

  The Prime Minister
  I have no current plans to do so.

  Prime Ministerial Duties
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister what proportion of his time he devoted to his duties as Prime Minister between 23 June and 4 July. [34202]

  The Prime Minister
  I was Prime Minister throughout the entire period in question.

  Government Cars
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister what make and type of Government car is allocated to the Prime Minister; and what is the cost of this vehicle to the Exchequer; including the annual cost of the chauffeur. [34014]

  The Prime Minister
  I have been allocated a Daimler Majestic as my official car. The annual running cost, which includes a number of security measures, is some £100,000. This also includes maintenance and the cost of a chauffeur.

  French Nuclear Tests
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received from the Governments of(a) Australia and (b) New Zealand about French nuclear tests in the Pacific; and what Commonwealth representations he proposes to make to the French Government. [34153]
  750
  The Prime Minister
  We are in regular contact with both Governments and are aware of their views. The United Kingdom does not act on behalf of the Commonwealth.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will protest to the French Government against(a) the proposed French nuclear tests in the Pacific and (b) the French Government's action against the Rainbow Warrior. [34150]

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister on which occasions he has raised the issue of French nuclear testing within institutions of the European Union. [34152]

  The Prime Minister
  I have discussed nuclear testing with President Chirac on a number of occasions. I have not considered it necessary to do so within institutions of the EU.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list details of the occasions during the past 30 years when public interest immunity certificates have been signed indicating the Minister concerned, the Department and the subject matter to which the certificate was related. [34116]

  The Prime Minister
  The information as requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

  Prime Minister's Questions
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister who will be answering oral questions addressed to him when he cannot be present in the House. [34032]

  The Prime Minister
  The First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister will answer oral questions addressed to me when I cannot be present in the House.

  Prime Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the offices in 10 Downing street available to him for his official duties, together with the size of such offices, measured in square feet. [34015]

  The Prime Minister
  A study is available, which measures approximately 370 sq ft. The Cabinet room and other rooms in No. 10 Downing street are used for Government business. These amount in total to 4,343 sq ft.

  Deputy Prime Minister
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister, what role in the presentation and co-ordination of Government policy will be filled by the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary. [34012]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 11 July,Official Report, column 496.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister what level has been set for the annual salary of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State. [34010]
  751
  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 11 July,Official Report, column 496.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister what will be the duties and responsibilities of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary. [34011]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 11 July,Official Report, column 496.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister how many rooms in the Cabinet Office have been allocated to the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary and his staff. [34009]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I have been asked to reply.

  Four rooms in the Cabinet Office have been allocated to the First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister and his staff.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will estimate the annual cost of running the offices and department of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary, indicating(a) staff costs and (b) rentable value of accommodation occupied. [34008]

  The Deputy Prime Minister: I have been asked to reply.

  The currently estimated annual cost of running the Cabinet Office (Office of Public Service), including the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary, is £80 million of which £32 million relates to staff costs and £5 million is in respect of accommodation.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the fixtures and fittings ordered for the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State with particular reference to(a) carpets and (b) pictures. [33999]

  The Deputy Prime Minister: I have been asked to reply.

  No fixtures or fittings have been ordered for the First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister's office. The carpet and pictures were in place and the furniture came from existing stocks.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the size, in square feet, of the new office of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary, located in the Cabinet Office. [34000]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I have been asked to reply.

  The size of the First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister's office is 872 sq ft.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister what refurbishment work is(a) completed, (b) under way and (c) planned for the offices of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary and his staff; and what is his estimate of the costs of such work. [34007]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I have been asked to reply.

  None.
  752
  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister, how many(a) telephones, (b) fax machines, (c) photocopiers and (d) computers have been and will be allocated to the offices and department of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary; and what is the estimated value of the items obtained in each of the above categories. [34006]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I have been asked to reply.

  The following items have been allocated to the offices of the First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister and his private office staff

  The following items have been allocated to the offices of the First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister and his private office staff.

  Quantity

  Cost excluding VAT £

  Telephones

  10

  590

  Facsimile machines

  1

  1,425

  Photocopiers

  1

  4,017 (annual hire charge)

  Computers/printers

  7/3

  12,469

  Information for the Office of Public Service and its agencies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) what will be the design features of stationery created for the office of the Deputy Prime Minister. [34001]

  (2) what orders for new stationery have been placed by the offices and Department of the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary; and what the cost of such orders will be. [34002]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I have been asked to reply.

  The stationery for the office of the First Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister features the crest used by the Cabinet Office and "Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State". Orders for stationery have so far been placed to an estimated value of £75.

  Rose Garden Announcement
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 4 July, which of the means proposed to remunerate the public purse will be used in the particular case of the rose garden announcement of 22 June. [33291]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 10 July 1995]: My announcement on 22 June took place during the normal working hours of No. 10 Downing street. Any additional costs to the public purse were de minimis and, in accordance with long-standing practice, no charge will be levied.

HEALTH

  NHS Policy Board
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members of(a) the NHS policy board and (b) the private finance panel have employment in the private sector; is she will list details of such employment; and what assessment she has made of the possibility of conflicts of interest. [30437]
  753
  Mr. Malone
  Membership of the national health service policy board is drawn from inside and outside the NHS and includes Ministers, senior officials, chairmen of the eight regional health authorities as well as other members who have no formal role in the NHS. No Ministers or senior officials have employment in the private sector. Like all advisory bodies in the NHS, which have no executive responsibility, the NHS policy board is non-statutory and provides advice to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Members of the board drawn from outside the NHS are under no obligation to declare their employment or interests. Members of the board who are regional health authority chairmen are appointed to those positions through a process requiring them to declare interests which are relevant and material to authorities of which they are a member. Registers of these interests are publicly available and a copy of the relevant entries will be placed in the Library. Membership of the private finance panel is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

  Staff (Shareholdings)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department or its agencies have(a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years, including the companies concerned. [33415]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department's staff rules require that shareholdings which staff or immediate members of their families hold, and which might be influenced or affected as a result of their official position, must be declared to their line manager. Records of such declarations are not available centrally.

  Speech Therapy
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which local authority education departments will fund speech therapy in schools in the case of non-statemented children requiring speech therapy support services. [33511]

  Mr. Bowis
  This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Department of Education and Employment but we are co-funding a project which is being carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research to identify models of good collaborative practice. Its findings should be available towards the end of this year.

  Blood Bags
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice has been given by the National Blood Authority, and by his Department, to doctors and hospitals which still have Tuta blood bags in their blood stocks; how many such bags have now been destroyed; what consultations the manufacturers of these bags had with the NBA before changing the design; what compensation is being sought from the manufacturers; and if he will make a statement. [33306]

  Mr. Sackville
  These matters for the National Blood Authority, which is urgently investigating the problems experienced with Tuta blood bags. I understand that on 4 July the National Blood Authority advised blood centres that all Tuta blood bags be withdrawn.
  754
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 July,Official Report, column 341, when he expects to announce the results of the investigation by the National Blood Authority into the problems with Tuta bags; and what estimate his Department has been given of the total cost of the exercise involved in replacing the blood stock lost through defective bags. [34305]

  Mr. Sackville
  I understand that the National Blood Authority's urgent investigation of these matters is continuing.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will indicate which five consultancy firms have received most contracts from his Department by(a) number of contracts and (b) monetary value in the last five years for which figures are available. [33440]

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on the total number of contracts let to consultancy firms by this Department over the past five years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. By total monetary value, since 1993, the first year that such figures exist, the five leading consultancy firms are as follows:

  PA Consulting and its subsidiaries

  CSS Trident plc

  Touch Ross and Co

  Siemens Nixdorf

  C International Ltd.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much have(a) health authorities and (b) trusts spent on consultancy services in each year since 1992, by region. [34166]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contract and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to(a) Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries, (b) Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries, (c) Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries, (d) Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries, (e) Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries, (f) Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries, (g) Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries, (h) Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries and (i) Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries for privatisation, marketing testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993–94 and 1994–95. [33911]

  Mr. Sackville
  Information regarding the total number of contracts let by this Department and agencies for which it is responsible is not available centrally. The total sums paid to those firms listed in 1993–94 and 1994–95 are as follows:

  1993–94 £

  1994–95£

  Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries

  426,942

  387,875

  Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries

  240,513

  259,212

  Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries

  106,904

  35,919

  Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries

  nil

  nil

  Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries

  434,354

  191,955

  Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries

  118

  nil

  755

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries

  150

  nil

  Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries

  nil

  nil

  Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries

  200

  400

  NHS Services
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from the Royal College of Physicians and the Prince of Wales Advisory Group on Disability on the establishment of a national standard of national health service services with regular monitoring; and if he will make a statement. [33761]

  Mr. Malone
  None.

  Physiotherapists
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the changes in the demand for specialist physiotherapy to treat sufferers with work-related upper limb disorders; and what plans he has to increase the level of funding for this work; [33843]

  (2) what has been the annual expenditure on NHS physiotherapy in each of the last five years; and what were these figures as a percentage of the total level of NHS expenditure. [33844.]

  Mr. Bowis
  The number of people affected by upper limb disorders, or repetitive strain injury as it is also known, is apparently increasing and we are encouraging physiotherapists working in this field to update their practice in line with current thinking and research into the condition.

  In the 10-year period from 1982–83 to 1992–93, revenue expenditure on physiotherapy services in England increased by 79 per cent. to £232.4 million, as part of the general increase in funding for the NHS. The figures on the annual expenditure of NHS physiotherapy by health authorities and NHS trusts and their percentage of the total operational hospital and community health care expenditure are shown in the table.

  Expenditure on physiotherapy by health authorities and NHS trusts in England and as a per cent, of total operational hospital and community health services expenditure

  Physiotherapy expenditure £000

  Physiotherapy expenditure as a per cent, of total HCHS expenditure

  1989–90

  138,896

  1.02

  1990–91

  147,806

  1.00

  1991–92

  204,714

  1.09

  1992–93

  232,393

  1.16

  1993–94

  252,935

  1.23

  Notes:

  1. HCHS abbreviates hospitals and community health services.

  2. The figures for 1991–92 onwards are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years due to changes in accounting practice associated with the introduction of the internal market, including the introduction of capital charges.

  Source:

  1. The annual financial returns of regional and district health authorities and the special health authorities of the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.
  756
  2. The annual financial returns of NHS trusts.

  3. The annual accounts of regional and district health authorities and the special health authorities of the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.

  Medical Records (Access)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will amend the Access to Health Records Act 1990 to allow patients full access to their complete records other than in exceptional circumstances; if he will make it his policy that patients will be issued with an explanatory statement when full access is denied; and if he will make a statement. [33655]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Access to Health Records Act 1990 gives patients a right of access to their own health records compiled on or after 1 November 1991. If the record holder considers that access to earlier records is necessary for the later record to be understood, that also is permitted under the Act.

  Access may be denied to all or part of the record if disclosure of any information in it might cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the patient or to protect the health of another person. Access may also be denied if the record contains information which would identify a third party, other than a health professional, unless that person has consented to the disclosure.

  Although the Act does not grant a general right of access to records made before 1 November 1991, questions of access to documents made before that date are matters for the judgment of the health professional primarily responsible for the patient's clinical care. However it is our policy that access be given whenever possible.

  The Act does not require the record holder to inform the applicant when part of the record is withheld. It is a matter for the record holder whether to do so but our guidance does not require it and we have no plans to change the current arrangements.

  Drugs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the price differential of drugs at the hospital/primary care interface; how this affects patients who are discharged from hospital; and if he will make a statement. [33672]

  Mr. Malone
  Guidance on these issues was given to health authorities in EL(91)127 and EL(94)72, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Infertility Treatment
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct all health authorities to make in-vitro fertilisation or gamete intra-fallopian transfer treatment available to women with a clinical need. [33664]

  Mr. Sackville
  Decisions about the priority and resources to be given to infertility treatment services must be left to the individual health authorities, which are in the best position to determine priorities in the light of local needs and circumstances.

  Patients Charter
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will allow nurses and midwives greater discretion under the patients charter in the time scale for operating home visits where this is in the best interests of patients and carers; and if he will make a statement. [33666]

  Mr. Malone
  The patients charter national standard on home visits by community nurses, health visitors and midwives has been set to provide a challenging but achievable level of service delivery which the national health service must aim to meet in all but exceptional cases. To weaken the standard would not be in the interests of patients.

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will allocate further funds to community health councils to enable them to raise their public profile; and if he will make a statement. [33760]

  Mr. Malone
  No. The working group on the future establishing arrangements for community health councils identified a need for further work in relation to equalising CHC resources after RHA functions transfer to the NHS executive in April 1996. This work will be based on our commitment to ensuring broad consistency in handling CHC affairs.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure greater involvement by community health councils in the processes of needs assessment, the monitoring of performance and quality and in "Local Voices" programmes; and if he will make a statement. [33674]

  Mr. Malone
  Guidance issued by the National Health Service Executive in 1992 entitled "Local Voices" emphasised the need for the national health service to become truly responsive to the needs, views and preferences of local people. Community health councils have and will continue to play a significant role in this process.

  This continued role is clearly acknowledged in the planning and priorities guidance for 1996–97. The guidance details the six most important national priorities for the NHS over the next three to five years, one of which is to give greater voice and influence to health service users.

  Intensive Care
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that his Department's review of intensive care facilities will(a) review the number of intensive care and high dependency beds and regional centres with particular attention to paediatrics and neurosurgery to ensure the provision of necessary support services and (b) implement as a matter of urgency a bed bureau to facilitate the immediate location of appropriate available specialist care beds in an emergency; and if he will make a statement. [33676]

  Mr. Sackville
  No. I have set up a working group to develop clear definitions of intensive care and high dependency; and to devise guidelines for admission to and discharge from such units.

  Folic Acid (Public Awareness)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase awareness of the importance of folic acid taken before conception and then in early pregnancy in the prevention of neural tube defects; and if he will make a statement. [34570]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department has commissioned the Health Education Authority to conduct a large scale publicity campaign to increase awareness of the opportunity to prevent babies having spina bifida and other similar birth defects by women increasing their consumption of folates and folic acid prior to conception and in early pregnancy. We have set aside £2.3 million in England over the next three years for this purpose. The campaign will start in the autumn, focusing first on increasing professional awareness of the issues, and then broaden out early next year to reach women and older school girls. In particular, it will initially target women who are planning to become pregnant.

  Health Service Commissioner (Annual Report)
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Healthy when he expects to receive the 1994–95 annual report of the Health Service Commissioner. [34720]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Health Service Commissioner has made his annual report on the performance of his functions in England, Scotland and Wales. My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Health, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales presented the report to the House on 12 July. It was published today (HC 544) and copies have been placed in the Library.

  Medical Negligence
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the law of medical negligence on his Department; and if he will make a statement. [33816]

  Mr. Malone
  The law of medical negligence has no direct effect on my Department.

  Breast Cancer
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider giving compensation to those patients who suffer permanent injuries after radiotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer; and if he will make a statement. [33817]

  Mr. Sackville
  Compensation by the national health service is appropriate only where there is evidence of medical negligence.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make, a statement concerning the apparent concentration in particular areas and in particular years of injuries following radiotherapy for breast cancer. [33818]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department of Health is funding the Royal College of Radiologists to carry out a clinical review in nine radiotherapy centres of women thought to be damaged by radiotherapy for breast cancer. This should yield useful information about common factors in treatment which might have led to the adverse effects. The need for further studies can then be assessed.

  Child Abuse Inquiry
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the terms of the National Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse; if he will list the members; what is his estimate of the total costs of the inquiry; on what date the inquiry will begin; and when he anticipates it will be completed. [34250]

  Mr. Bowis
  The National Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse was set up by the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

  Accident and Emergency Services, West Midlands
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the provision of accident and emergency services in the west midlands; and what changes to present arrangements are planned. [34281]

  Mr. Sackville
  It is for health authorities to decide upon the provision of accident and emergency services. The hon. and learned Member may wish to contact Bryan Baker, chairman of West Midlands regional health authority, for further details.

  City and Hackney Community NHS Trust
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the occupation and employer of the chair of City and Hackney Community NHS trust. [34179]

  Mr. Malone
  The chairman of City and Hackney Community NHS trust, Professor Elaine Murphy, is employed by the united medical and dental schools of Guy's and St. Thomas' hospitals. She is a professor within the division of psychiatry in the university of London.

  Accident and Emergency Departments
  Mr. Alan Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 23 February,Official Report, column 325, if he will give the figures on accident and emergency departments by region for 1994–95. [34206]

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 9 June,Official Report, column 332.

  Listeriosis
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department first made a full assessment of the risks to child health of pregnant mothers consuming soft cheese and other products liable to listeria; and on what date his Department's first guidance note on listeriosis was produced. [34248]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department of Health issued advice to the public about listeria in soft ripened cheese, cooked-chilled meals and ready-to-eat poultry on 10 February 1989 and about pâté on 12 July 1989 and 24 August 1989. This included specific guidance to pregnant women.

  It would not be appropriate to comment on the timing of the Department's assessment of the health risks associated with foodborne listeriosis which is being considered as part of a current court case.
  760
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Ministers and which Departments were involved in the timing of the Government's decision to warn publicly of the risks of miscarriages, stillbirths and serious illnesses in new born babies from listeriosis caused by consumption of some soft cheeses, cook-chill foods, chicken or pâté. [34310]

  Mr. Sackville
  Health and Agriculture Ministers were involved in the decision to issue a warning about listeriosis.

  Asthma
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will include asthma in the "Health of the Nation" strategy; and if he will make a statement. [34282]

  Mr. Sackville
  An ad hoc expert group has recently reported to the Chief Medical Officer on possible interventions and targets for asthma, so that it might be reconsidered for "Health of the Nation" key area status. The report will be considered together with others on asthma which are expected soon from specialty committees in the Department of Health.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were made for the treatment of asthma, per family health service authority, for each of the last three years for which figures are available. [34283]

  Mr. Malone
  The available information will be placed in the Library.

  GP Fundholding
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures(a) his Department and (b) the NHS Executive hold on the transaction costs between trust and general practitioner fundholders. [34136]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average rent charged by NHS trusts to tenants in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [34251]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of staff, by type, working in(a) the acute sector and (b) the community sector in each of the last three years. [34135]

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

  Information on the national health service work force is given in "The NHS Workforce in England 1982–1992" and "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics 1994", copies of which are available in the Library.
  761
  Information on staff directly employed by local authority social services departments is given in the annual publication, "Local Authority Social Services Statistics: Staff of Local Authority Social Services Departments", copies of which are in the Library. The latest edition gives data as at 30 September 1994.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Environmental Protection Agency
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) of 13 June,Official Report, column 465, what reasons were given for rejecting an independent environmental protection agency for Northern Ireland. [33241]

  Mr. Moss
  The Environment Service of the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland provides an integrated approach to the protection and conservation of the environment. The establishment of an independent agency dealing solely with environmental protection would prejudice that holistic approach. For this reason it was considered that a next steps agency, dealing with the full range of the current responsibilities of the Environment Service, would achieve many of the benefits of a separate protection agency and could be brought into being in a much shorter timescale.

  Bypasses (Dungiven and Strabane)
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for a bypass at(a) Dungiven and (b) Strabane. [33044]

  Mr. Moss
  Proposals for the provision of a bypass of Dungiven and for the completion of stage 2 of Strabane bypass—stage 1 is already in place—are long term and are not included in the Department's current five-year major road works programme.

  Training Schemes
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the sources of information held by him on Government-sponsored training schemes. [33593]

  Mr. Ancram
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. J. S. Crozier. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from J. S. Crozier to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 10 July 1995.

  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, to reply to your question.

  The main sources of information on Government sponsored training schemes are as follows:

  The Training and Employment Agency headquarters and local office network. There are 31 local offices located across Northern Ireland.

  Adult Guidance Centres of which there are 33 provide under contract to the Agency a career assessment and guidance service for adults.

  A Training Organisation network consisting of 161 organisations which includes the Agency's 11 Training
  762
  Centres. These organisations are contracted to deliver T&EA training programmes.

  A Directory of Training Opportunities (formally known as the Directory of Training Providers) gives a comprehensive guide to training opportunities and providers in Northern Ireland. The Directory is available form the Agency on request.

  The Agency also produces a Directory of Services which gives a brief description of each of the Agency's services including training schemes and is also available on request.

  In addition, potential clients can be referred to the Training and Employment Agency by Social Security Offices, Citizens Advice Bureaux, Community based Jobclubs which would be able to give limited information on the training programmes available.

  I hope that your find this helpful.

  Sunday Observance Act
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what meaning is attached by his Department to the terms(a) tradesman, (b) certificer, (c) workman, and (d) labourer as used in article 1 of the Act for the better observation of the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, AD 1695; [33517]

  (2) what meaning is attached by his Department to the term, works of necessity and charity, as used in article 1 of the Act for the better observation of the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, AD 1695; [33515]

  (3) what meaning is attached by his Department to the terms, (a) drover, (b) horse-courser, (c) waggoner, (d) carrier, (e) butcher and (f) higler as used in an Act for the better observation of the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, AD 1695; [33514]

  (4) what meaning is attached by his Department to the terms, (i) publickly cry (ii) chew forth, (iii) expose to sale, (iv) merchandises and (v) chattels as used in article 1 of the Act for the better observation of the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, AD 1695. [33516]

  Mr. Moss
  The Sunday Observance Act (Ireland) 1695 is an archaic piece of legislation which is inevitably couched in language that is out of date. It is not appropriate, therefore, to attach in the abstract, particular meanings to the terms used in the Act. Such determination would be relevant and meaningful only in the context of a particular issue or case.

  Staff (Shareholdings)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department or its agencies have(a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years, indicating the companies concerned. [33427]

  Sir John Wheeler
  None.

  Training and Work Schemes
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what devolved powers he has to run training or work schemes that are different from those run elsewhere in the United Kingdom. [33595]

  Mr. Ancram
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. J. S. Crozier. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  763
  Letter from J. S. Crozier to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 8 July 1995:

  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me as Chief Executive of the Agency to reply to your question about the devolved powers he has to run training or work schemes that are different from those run elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

  Training and employment programmes and services are administered by the Training and Employment Agency which is a Next Steps Agency established by the Department of Economic Development in 1990. The Department is empowered to run training and employment schemes under the Employment and Training Act (NI) 1950 (as amended by the Employment and Training (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988) which includes authority to "make such arrangements as it considers appropriate for the purpose of employment suitable for their ages and capacities or of assisting persons to obtain suitable employees (including partners and other business associates)". Under the arrangements which pertain during Direct Rule this authority is discharged subject to the direction and control of the Secretary of State.

  Social Needs
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what ways the Department of Education uses its budget to fulfil the Government's policy of targeting social need in Northern Ireland. [33303]

  Mr. Ancram
  The formula used for distributing the annual block grant resources to the education and library boards takes account of the relative incidence of social deprivation in each board area and social need is also taken into account in determining major schools capital starts each year.

  In addition, substantial resources—£6 million to date in 1995–96—are targeted at the education service within the "Making Belfast Work" and Londonderry regeneration initiatives.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what way each of the education and library boards enact Government policy of targeting social needs in Northern Ireland. [33304]

  Mr. Ancram
  Local management of schools funding arrangements require each education and library board to target social needs through allocations in respect of special needs and social deprivation. In 1994–95, £28.8 million or 6 per cent. of the aggregated schools budget was targeted at the most needy schools in this way.

  In addition, over £20 million will be made available over the next three years towards a special initiative aimed at raising standards in those schools facing the greatest problems of social and educational disadvantage.

  Preparatory Schools
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Government money is used to fund private fee paying preparatory departments of schools; and how much each school receives. [33305]

  Mr. Ancram
  The total amount of Government grant allocated to these schools in the 1995–96 financial year is £1,488,221.
  764
  The allocation to individual schools are as follows:

  £

  Voluntary Grammar Schools

  Armagh Royal School

  17,126

  Belfast Royal Academy

  129,304

  Ballymena Academy

  48,382

  Strathearn Grammar College

  77,497

  Ballymoney Dalriada

  45,385

  Victoria College

  63,796

  Bangor Grammar School

  60,370

  Sullivan Upper School

  81,350

  Bloomfield Collegiate

  38,106

  Larne Grammar School

  23,977

  Campbell College

  86,060

  Friends' School Lisburn

  82,635

  Hunterhouse College

  47,526

  The Wallace High School

  84,347

  Methodist college

  260,321

  Foyle and Londonderry College

  19,695

  Rainey Endowed

  25,690

  Royal Academical Institute

  101,474

  Dungannon Royal

  23,121

  Controlled Grammar Schools

  Glenlola Collegiate

  30,199

  Down High

  27,054

  Lurgan College

  15,867

  Regent House

  55,049

  Portadown College

  23,559

  Ballyclare High

  20,331

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33455]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The information requested is not available prior to 1989. However, from April 1989 to March 1995, the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland departments was £14.8 million.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to(a) Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries, (b) Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries, (c) Ernest and Young and its subsidiaries, (d) Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries, (e) Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries, (f) Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries, (g) Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries, (h) Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries and (i) Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993–94 and 1994–95. [33906]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Details are set out in the following table, for the various categories for which information is collected.
  765

  Number of contracts per firm (including subsidiaries) per category

  1993–94

  General management consultancy

  Information technology

  Privatisation (includes market testing)

  Next steps (includes prior option studies)

  Coopers and Lybrand

  39

  2

  4

  0

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  14

  0

  0

  1

  Ernest and Young Arthur Andersen

  20

  0

  0

  0

  Price Waterhouse

  22

  1

  3

  1

  Grant Thornton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Stoy Hayward

  22

  0

  0

  0

  Robson Rhodes

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Pannell Kerr Forster

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  117

  3

  7

  2

  Total amount of spend by 9 listed Consultancy groups £1,869,528.

  Number of contracts per firm (including subsidiaries) per category

  1994–95

  General Management Consultancy

  Information technology

  Privatisation (including market testing)

  Next steps (including prior option studies)

  Coopers and Lybrand

  42

  0

  1

  3

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  8

  1

  1

  0

  Ernest and Young

  15

  0

  0

  1

  Arthur Andersen

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Price Waterhouse

  25

  0

  0

  1

  Grant Thornton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Stoy Hayward

  12

  0

  0

  2

  Robson Rhodes

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Pannell Kerr Forster

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  102

  1

  2

  7

  Total amount of spend by nine listed Consultancy groups £1,282,700.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much have(a) health authorities and (b) trusts spent on consultancy services in each year since 1992, by region. [34162]

  Mr. Moss
  The information is not available in the exact form requested. Health and social services boards and trusts produce statements in support of their annual accounts which provide supplementary analysis of the expenditure on the accounts. The table sets out the cost of external contract staff and consultancy services.

  1992–93 £

  1993–94 £

  Northern Board

  196,618

  162,575

  Southern Board

  316,161

  362,501

  Eastern Board

  520,942

  252,161

  Western Board

  190,988

  158,781

  Trusts in Eastern Board Area

  n/a

  320,435

  Trusts in Southern Board Area

  n/a

  125,917

  Total

  1,224,709

  1,382,370

  The first Trusts were established in Northern Ireland on 1 April 1993. Five are in the Eastern board area and one is in the Southern Board area.

  Asbestos Cement Pipes
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to construct an asbestos cement pipe to Belfast from the Silent Valley reservoir, which other countries in the European Union have prohibited the use of asbestos cement pipes for the flow of drinking water; and if he will make a statement on the use of asbestos cement pipes for the flow of drinking water in Northern Ireland. [33902]
  766
  Mr. Moss
  Plans are now at an advanced stage for replacement of two sections of the Mourne Conduit totalling 3.8 km. The conduit conveys water from the Silent Valley reservoir to Belfast.

  Tenders under consideration include a number based on the use of asbestos cement pipes. No decision has been taken on the pipe material.

  Asbestos cement pipes have in the past been one of a range of pipe materials used in Northern Ireland in accordance with nationally approved standards. This is consistent with UK practice. The use of a pipe laying material by member states of the European Union is a matter for internal decision by the authorities in those states.

  Students
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students from Northern Ireland attended universities in Great Britain during the most recent academic year. [33626]

  Mr. Ancram
  In 1993–94, the most recent year for which figures are available, 12,225 students from Northern Ireland attended higher education courses at institutions in Great Britain.

  Foreign Undergraduates
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extent each of the two Northern Ireland universities seek to attract foreign undergraduates from each of the 14 member nations of the European Union; and to what extent they give priority attention to promotions in the Republic of Ireland. [33627]
  767
  Mr. Ancram
  Both Northern Ireland universities provide details of their courses on European-wide computerised databases. Copies of the universities' prospectuses are also available throughout the European Union through the offices of the British Council.

  The universities are also active participants in EU student mobility schemes which provide for EU students to undertake part of their course of study in Northern Ireland.

  Both universities undertake promotional visits to the Republic of Ireland in response to direct requests for them to be represented at major career conventions.

  Clinical Negligence Claims
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what have been the costs of meeting clinical negligence claims in each region in each year since 1990. [34171]

  Mr. Moss
  The cost of meeting clinical negligence cases in Northern Ireland since 1990–91 is as follows:

  Cost£

  1990–911

  1,257,714

  1991–92

  2,055,628

  1992–93

  2,429,365

  1993–94

  6,106,839

  1994–95

  4,518,236

  1 The required information is only available for the last 6 months of 1990–91.

  NHS Allowances
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is held by(a) his Department and (b) the NHS executive on expenditure on trust board and health authority members' allowances. [34145]

  Mr. Moss
  The Department of Health and Social Services determine the rates of travelling and other allowances payable to board members.

  The annual accounts of health and social services trusts and health and social services boards are submitted to the management executive. The accounts do not separately identify expenditure on allowances paid to board members. They do, however, identify total board members remuneration and disclose since 1994–95:

  total remuneration of non-executive members

  basic salary of executive members

  performance related pay of executive members

  pension contributions of executive members

  compensation paid for loss of office

  pensions to former directors.

WALES

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many previously arranged official meetings have been(a) cancelled, (b) postponed or (c) re-arranged since the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) resigned as Secretary of State; and if he will make a statement on the impact of these alterations. [32911]
  768
  Mr. Hague
  [holding answer 6 July 1995]:

  (a) Five cancelled

  (b) No meetings were postponed

  (c) One rearranged

  Staff (Shareholdings)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department or its agencies have(a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years, indicating the companies concerned. [33421]

  Mr. Hague
  None.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts his Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33575]

  Mr. Hague
  Details of management and other consultants engaged by the Welsh Office are as follows:

  Number of occasions

  Total payments (£000)

  1990–91

  24

  229

  1991–92

  38

  1,109

  1992–93

  74

  1,416

  1993–94

  87

  1,454

  1994–95

  45

  805

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate which five consultancy firms have received most contracts from his Department(a) by number of contracts and (b) monetary value in the last five years for which figures are available. [33432]

  Mr. Hague
  This information is available only for the three years from 1992–93 to 1994–95. Over this period, the five main firms of management and other consultants engaged by the Welsh Office, by both the number and value of contracts are:

  Coopers and Lybrand

  Howard Humphreys and Partners

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  Price Waterhouse

  Touche Ross

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33451]

  Mr. Hague
  Since 1980, the Welsh Office has not incurred any expenditure on consultants in connection with privatisation programmes.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to(a) Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries, (b) Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries, (c) Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries, (d) Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries, (e) Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries, (f) Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries, (g) Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries, (h) Robson Rhodes

  769
  and its subsidiaries and (i) Pannel Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993–94 and 1994–95. [33905]

  Mr. Hague
  Over this period, the Welsh Office has awarded contracts to five of the firms mentioned for consultancy work. Information on the number of contracts awarded is as follows:

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Coopers and Lybrand

  4

  1

  Peat Marwick

  3

  3

  Price Waterhouse

  3

  1

  Grant Thornton

  —

  1

  Pannell Kerr Forster

  1

  —

  Details of expenditure with individual firms cannot be disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

  Uncollected Community Charge
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of uncollected community charge; and what percentage of manufacturing output was accounted for by(a) the steel industry, (b) the aerospace industry and (c) the coal industry in each of the last 10 years. [33512]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The amount of uncollected community charge as at 31 March 1995 was £32.5 million. This provisional figure includes £6.6 million written off as bad debts between 1 April 1990 and 31 March 1995 and £25.9 million of cumulative arrears at 31 March 1995. Information on the output of the steel and aerospace industries as a percentage of total manufacturing output is shown in table 1. Information on the coal industry on a comparable basis is not available, but data on the output of coal in tonnes are shown in table 2.

  Table 1: Output of the steel and aerospace industries as a percentage of total manufacturing output', Wales 1983–1992

  Year

  Steel industry (SIC80 221)

  Aerospace industry (SIC80 364)

  1983

  Not available

  Not available

  1984

  2—

  2.3

  1985

  3—

  2.4

  1986

  2—

  2—

  1987

  18.6

  2—

  1988

  17.7

  2—

  1989

  17.6

  0.4

  1990

  13.0

  3.9

  1991

  12.4

  1.4

  1992

  11.4

  2.1

  1 Gross value added at factor cost.

  2—figures are not shown as a precaution against disclosure of confidential information.

  Source:

  Census of Production.

  Table 2: Production of deep-mined and open-cast coal, Wales 1983–1993

  Year

  Million tonnes

  1983

  9.47

  1984

  3.44

  1985

  8.08

  770

  Table 2: Production of deep-mined and open-cast coal, Wales 1983–1993

  Year

  Million tones

  1986

  9.30

  1987

  8.04

  1988

  7.23

  1989

  6.79

  1990

  6.40

  1991

  5.19

  1992

  4.87

  1993

  4.50

  Source:

  Department of Trade and Industry.

  RAF Sealand
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to visit RAF Sealand, Deeside, Clwyd. [33495]

  Mr. Hague
  I have no such plans at present.

  Saw-billed Ducks
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many licences to shoot saw-billed ducks have been issued by his Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [33334]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No licences were issued in 1992 and 1993; eight were issued in 1994.

  Business Rates
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many appeals have been lodged by caravan and camping park owners in Wales against the revaluation of their premises carried out by district valuation officers in Wales. [33713]

  (2) how many representations he has received on the issue of revaluation of caravan and camping parks in Wales following the revaluation of business premises; [33714]

  (3) if he will change the criteria adopted by valuation officers in Wales in determining rateable values of caravan and camping parks, so as to take more account of the profitability of businesses in the valuation process. [33715]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Some 95 appeals had been lodged by 7 July 1995. My right hon. Friend and I have received 68 representations.

  The criteria by which caravan sites are valued for business rates cover both England and Wales and are a matter for the Valuation Office agency. In the absence of appropriate rental evidence for properties such as caravan parks, the valuation method uses information which takes account of profitability. Discussions are taking place between the agency and representatives of the industry on revisions to the method used. I hope they will come to a mutually acceptable conclusion.

  Prescription Pricing
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer on 15 June,Official Report, column 662, if he has set a deadline for the Prescription Pricing Authority, England to satisfy the Welsh Health

  771
  Common Services Authority that it has the legal basis to bid to supply prescription pricing services in Wales; and if he will place a copy in the Library of the relevant correspondence between the two authorities concerning confirmation or otherwise of this point. [33968]

  Mr. Hague
  No. These are matters for the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the answer of 15 June,Official Report, column 661, on what date he approached the commission for permission to place the relevant correspondence on regional development fund assistance to the Welsh Development Agency; what response has been received; and when he expects the correspondence will be placed in the Library. [33969]

  Mr. Hague
  I have placed a copy of the letter in the Library with the approval of the Commission.

  Auditor's Remuneration
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much have(a) health authorities and (b) trusts spent on auditors' remuneration in each year since 1992, by region. [34163]

  Mr. Richards
  The information is as follows:

  £ thousand

  Health authorities

  NHS trusts

  1992–93

  1,289

  70

  1993–94

  1,448

  758

  Note:

  1.1993–94 data is provisional.

  2. Auditor's remuneration consists of audit fees and other auditor's remuneration.

  Source:

  Annual Accounts/Financial Returns of DHAs, SHAs, FHSAs and NHS Trusts.

  Clinical Negligence Claims
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what have been the costs of meeting clinical negligence claims in each region in each year since 1990–91. [34167]

  Mr. Richards
  The total cost of meeting clinical negligence claims in each of the financial year since 1990–91 is as follows:

  £ million

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  3.044

  2.220

  3.064

  13.548

  1 provisional figures only.

  NHS Allowances
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information is held by(a) his Department and (b) the NHS executive on expenditure on trust board and health authority members' allowances. [34144]

  Mr. Richards
  The information for the health service in Wales for 1993–94 is as follows:772

  £ thousand

  Health authorities

  NHS Trusts

  Fees

  808

  599

  Other emoluments (including pension contributions)

  2,427

  3,408

  Total remuneration

  3,235

  4,007

  Note:

  1993–94 data is provisional.

  Source:

  Annual Accounts of DHAs, SHAs, FHSAs and NHS Trusts.

  Consultancies
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much have(a)health authorities and (b) trusts spent on consultancy services in each since 1992, by region. [34161]

  Mr. Richards
  The information is as follows:

  £ thousands

  Health authorities

  NHS trusts

  1992–93

  2,427

  102

  1993–94

  3,436

  556

  Notes:

  1.1993–94 data is provisional.

  2.Information for family health services authorities and the Health Promotion Authority for Wales is not held centrally.

  Source:

  Annual Accounts/Financial Returns of DHAs, WHCSA and NHS Trusts.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what have been the costs of assisting general practitioner fundholders with information technology expenditure in each year since 1991–92. [34169]

  Mr. Richards
  Total payment in year for Wales for GP fundholders information technology since 1991–92 is as follows:

  Expenditure £000

  Number of GP Full

  Fundholders Preparatory

  1991–92

  588.2

  7

  19

  1992–93

  997.2

  26

  45

  1993–94

  1,282.7

  71

  31

  1994–95

  1,040.2

  101

  22

  Source:

  Family health services authorities' financial information system returns.

  School Pupils (Costs)
  Sir Harold Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the unit cost per pupil in each local education authority in Wales in 1993–94 for(a) nursery/primary and (b) secondary pupils. [34327]

  Mr. Richards
  The Welsh Office's training and education intelligence unit regularly produces an education finance bulletin, which contains unit cost figures and a copy of the bulletin is placed in the Library of the House. Figures for 1993–94 are not yet available: as soon as they become available they will be incorporated in a new issue of the bulletin and I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

  Valuation Tribunals
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he is making for valuation tribunals in Wales following the reorganisation of local government on 1 April 1996. [34837]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend and I have carefully considered the responses to the recent consultation. We have concluded that, from 1 April 1996, there should be four tribunals covering north, west, south and east Wales. They will be served by the existing offices at Colwyn bay, Carmarthen, Cardiff and Newport. Appointments to the tribunals will be made by the new unitary authorities to take effect on 1 April 1996. Regulations will be made in the autumn giving effect to these changes and making some other amendments to the arrangements for the appointment of tribunal members and the administration of tribunals. I am writing to all Welsh Members setting out the changes more fully. I shall place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

TREASURY

  Inward Investment
  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of inward investment. [32550]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Foreign-owned firms in the UK strengthen competition and innovation, boost productive capacity and provide jobs. In the past three years, inward investment to the UK has created or safeguarded a quarter of a million jobs.

  European Single Currency
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the proposed single currency for the European Union. [32559]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  It is now clear, following the European Council at Cannes, that there will be no move to a European single currency in 1997. It is too early to judge whether a successful monetary union will be possible in 1999 or beyond.

  Tax Reductions
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum he expects will be available for tax reductions in the next two years. [32562]

  Mr. Jack
  The public sector borrowing requirement is on a steady downward path. My right hon. and learned Friend has made it clear that he will cut taxes when the public finances can afford it and the economic conditions are right.

  Inflation Forecasts
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made in his inflation forecasts in the last year. [32563]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer to the reply my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick) earlier today.

  Trade Figures
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the economic impact of the latest balance of trade figures. [32564]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mrs. Jackson).

  Fiscal Policies
  Mr. Sutcliffe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change his fiscal policies following the Treasury's half-yearly forecast on economic prospects. [32566]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has no plans to change fiscal policy, which is to bring the public sector borrowing requirement back towards balance over the medium term. The figures in the summer forecast demonstrate that we are on course to achieve this.

  Housing Policies
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of housing policies on the construction industry and economic performance. [32567]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The Government are delivering healthy, sustainable economic growth based on low inflation and sound public finances. Industry, including the construction industry, is expected to share fully in the benefits of rising prosperity.

  Interest Rate Policy
  Mr. Hoon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will next meet the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss interest rate policy. [32569]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The next regularly monthly meeting will be held on 27 July.

  Biodiesel Duty
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from environmental organisations about the level of duty on biodiesel.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  None.

  Tax Fraud
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures his Department is taking to prevent and detect tax fraud. [32573]

  Mr. Jack
  The Inland Revenue's strategy is to encourage voluntary compliance and to maintain an active presence across the tax system, underpinned by statutory powers, to detect and deter tax evasion and fraud. The Inland Revenue aims to help taxpayers to comply with their tax obligations by explaining what those obligations are in clear and simple terms.

  Local tax offices scrutinise taxpayers' accounts and returns, and investigate those where, for example, profits appear to be understated, to detect and put right evasion.

  775
  Specialist offices deal with larger and more complex cases, including those where prosecution may be appropriate. In addition to investigations involving taxpayers known to the Inland Revenue, resources are also allocated to the detection of those individuals who should be paying tax, but make no declarations of their income.

  The Department has consistently made efforts to improve the quality of its compliance work. There has been an emphasis in recent years on larger or more high-risk cases, while the Department has maintained a presence in all areas of the tax system, and it has established an investigation quality monitoring system, which has ensured that its work in the area is extremely cost-effective—the reported yield being enhanced by the future compliance of taxpayers successfully investigated and by the deterrent effect on those who might otherwise try to evade tax.

  Further details of the Inland Revenue's compliance work may be found in the chapter entitled "Compliance" in the Board of Inland Revenue's 136th annual report, which was laid before Parliament in October 1994. It gives a broad outline of the Department's compliance activities, including the detection of possible fraud. The report also contains tables that show the yield from compliance work.

  Investment
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to encourage greater investment in British industry. [32574]

  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he proposes to increase the level of investment in the United Kingdom economy. [32575]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Betts).

  Single European Currency
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission and publish studies of the advantages and disadvantages to the United Kingdom of a single European currency. [32565]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The panel of independent forecasters, or six wise men, published a study of the issues raised by European monetary union as part of its May 1995 report.

  Negative Equity
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he expects negative equity to increase in the next financial year. [32568]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  I expect there to be a modest recovery in house prices, starting in the second half of 1996. Rising house prices normally reduce negative equity.

  Low Pay and Unemployment
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment of the economic impact of low pay and unemployment. [32571]
  776
  Mr. Waldegrave
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth).

  Duty on Beer
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what research has been undertaken on the revenue effect of lowering the excise duty on beer; and if he will place a copy in the Library; [33128]

  (2) what research has been undertaken on the effect on the beer trade of lowering the excise duty on beer; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [33129]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Research is continuously in progress to monitor the state of excise industries. The work by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on simulating indirect tax changes continues to be the basis for the Government's view of revenue and demand/effects of indirect tax changes. A copy of the relevant IFS working paper W90/11, "The Simulation of Indirect Tax Reforms: The IFS Simulation Program for Indirect Taxation (SPIT)", has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Bank Audits
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who audited(a) the Bank of England (b) Barings in the latest applicable year. [33918]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The answer to both questions is Coopers and Lybrand.

  Securities and Investments Board
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the annual report of the Securities and Investments Board to be published. [34721]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  A copy of the board's report, made in accordance with section 117 of the Financial Services Act 1986, was laid before Parliament today. The report covered the period from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995. Copies are now available in the Library.

  Entitlements
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the entitlements for 1995–96 resulting from the carry forward of underspends allowed under the end-year flexibility schemes for capital, running costs, health, Ministry of Defence operating costs and Jubilee line extension expenditure. [34722]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A list of entitlements, totalling £331 million for capital expenditure, £500 million for running costs; £371 million for health expenditure, £83 million for Ministry of Defence operating costs expenditure and £49 million for expenditure on the Jubilee line extension is shown in the table.
  777
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, individual cash limits and running costs limits will be increased when entitlement is taken up.

  Entitlement for 1995–96 cash limits resulting from the carryover of capital underspends Cash limits on votes

  Class

  Vote

  Accounting department

  Description of expenditure

  £ thousand

  I

  3

  Ministry of Defence

  Systems procurement and research

  99,931

  II

  1

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  Overseas representation

  2,114

  II

  3

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  BBC World Service

  3,015

  II

  4

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  The British Council

  2,000

  III

  3

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Operational expenditure

  2,000

  III

  4

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Departmental administration and agencies

  60

  IV

  1

  Department of Trade and Industry

  Programmes and administration

  3,313

  IV

  11

  Office of Electricity Regulation

  Office of Electricity Regulation

  229

  V

  1

  Department of Employment

  Programmes and central services

  2,000

  V

  3

  Department of Employment

  Health and Safety Commission and Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

  305

  VI

  1

  Department of Transport

  Highways Agency

  11,831

  VI

  4

  Department of Transport

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

  2,000

  VI

  5

  Department of Transport

  Roads and local transport

  1,787

  VI

  8

  Office of the Rail Regulator

  Office of the Rail Regulator

  162

  VII

  3

  Department of the Environment

  Environmental protection and water

  1,547

  VII

  5

  Department of the Environment

  Administration

  2,000

  VII

  6

  Office of Water Services

  Office of Water Services

  265

  VII

  7

  Ordnance Survey

  Ordnance Survey

  1,942

  IX

  2

  Northern Ireland Court Service

  Northern Ireland Court Service

  1,727

  IX

  3

  Public Record Office

  Public Record Office

  2,000

  IX

  7

  The Crown Office, Scotland

  The Crown Office, Scotland and Lord Advocate's Department

  2,000

  X

  1

  Department for Education

  Schools, research and miscellaneous services

  1,796

  X

  3

  Department for Education

  Administration

  1,175

  XI

  1

  Department of National Heritage

  Programme expenditure and administration

  2,320

  XII

  4

  Office of Population Censuses and Surveys

  Office of Population Censuses and Surveys

  635

  XIII

  4

  Department of Social Security

  Administration and miscellaneous services

  13,605

  XIV

  1

  Scottish Office of Agriculture and Fisheries Department

  Agriculture and fisheries, Scotland

  2,000

  XIV

  2

  Scottish Office Industry Department

  Training programmes, roads and transport services, industrial and regional support, Scotland

  16,961

  XIV

  5

  Scottish Office Environment Department

  Housing and environmental services, Scotland

  151

  XIV

  10

  Scottish Office Home and Health Department

  Law, order, miscellaneous health and social work services, Scotland

  772

  XIV

  15

  Scottish Office Education Department

  Education, arts and libraries, Scotland

  2,000

  XIV

  17

  Scottish Courts Administration

  Administration of Justice, Scotland

  2,000

  XIV

  18

  Scottish Office

  Scottish Office administration

  720

  XIV

  19

  Scottish Record Office

  Scottish Record Office

  214

  XIV

  20

  General Register Office for Scotland

  General Register Office for Scotland

  553

  XV

  2

  Welsh Office (1)

  Industrial support, Development Board for Rural Wales, housing subsidy, training and education, Wales

  7,527

  XV

  3

  Welsh Office

  Roads and transport, housing, other environmental services, arts and libraries, health and personal social services and Welsh Office administration, Wales

  5,979

  XVI

  1

  Northern Ireland Office

  Administration, law, order, protective and miscellaneous services

  2,949

  XVII

  1

  HM Treasury

  HM Treasury

  2,000

  XVII

  5

  Inland Revenue

  Valuation Office (Executive Agency): administration

  514

  XVII

  8

  Department for National Savings

  Department for National Savings

  1,136

  XVII

  11

  The Office of HM Paymaster General

  The Office of HM Paymaster General

  1,423

  XVII

  12

  Central Statistical Office

  Central Statistical Office

  854

  XVIII

  1

  Cabinet Office

  Office of Public Service and Science

  645

  XVIII

  2

  Cabinet Office

  Office of Public Service and Science: science

  5,606

  XIX

  1

  Cabinet Office

  Cabinet Office: other services

  1,227

  XIX

  2

  Cabinet Office

  Security and intelligence services

  3,242

  Total voted

  220,233

  778
  The total increase in cash limits resulting from the take-up of end-year flexibility will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
  779

  Cash limits on non-voted expenditure

  Cash Block

  Accounting department

  Description of expenditure

  £ thousands

  1995–96

  Department of the Environment

  Grants and capital expenditure financed by the Housing Corporation in England.

  51

  DOE/HC

  Department of the Environment

  Net capital expenditure by the Commission for the New Towns and Letchworth Garden City Development Corporation for housing, roads, commercial and industrial investment and certain water services.

  683

  DOE/NT

  Department of the Environment

  Grants under the Single Regeneration Budget to local authorities and other bodies (including local authority credit approvals), external financing requirements under the Single Regeneration Budget of Urban Development Corporations in England, Housing Action Trusts and the Urban Regeneration Agency (also known as English Partnerships), and other grants promoting urban regeneration (including local authority credit approvals).

  22,313

  DOE/RCW

  Department of the Environment

  Basic credit approvals to local authorities in England for housing, transport (except passenger transport authorities), education, health, 'other services' and Home Office (fire services in shires only). Supplementary credit approvals, specified capital grants and certain other grants to local authorities in England for housing.

  993

  DOE/LACAP

  Department of Environment

  Supplementary credit approvals for other environmental services in England, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and the Isles of Scilly (water and sewerage).

  2,310

  DOE/OES

  Home Office

  Supplementary credit approvals for probation, fire and police in England and Wales. Basic credit approvals for fire (Joint FCDAs only) in England.

  92

  HO/LACAP

  Department of Transport

  Supplementary credit approvals for transport in' England. Basic credit approvals for passenger transport authorities. Supplementary credit approvals to cover local authority expenditure which will be reimbursed by ERDF grant.

  10,149

  DOT/LACAP

  DOH/LACAP

  Department of Health

  Supplementary credit approvals for health in England.

  1,305

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  Supplementary credit approvals for magistrates' courts (England and Wales).

  724

  LCD/LACAP

  MAFF/LACAP

  Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

  Supplementary credit approvals for flood defence, coast protection and harbour improvements in England.

  721

  Northern Ireland Departments

  Services in Northern Ireland broadly analogous to services in Great Britain covered by cash limits but including family practitioner services.

  10,581

  NIDI

  Northern Ireland Departments

  Expenditure in Northern Ireland on national agriculture capital grant schemes, certain assistance for production, marketing and processing and the fishing industry.

  670

  NID4

  Scottish Office

  Net capital allocations and grants to local authorities in Scotland for roads and transport, water and sewerage, police, education, social work services, general services, urban programme and river purification.

  31,111

  SO/LA1

  Scottish Office

  Net capital allocations and grants to local authorities in Scotland for housing. Capital expenditure by New Towns in Scotland for housing and other environmental services.

  13,810

  SO/LA2

  Welsh Office

  Basic credit approvals for local authorities in Wales. Supplementary credit approvals for all services (except ERDF projects). Strategic Development Scheme grants (both capital and current) and some housing grants.

  13,269

  WO/LACAP

  Welsh Office

  Capital grants and net lending both to Housing for Wales and by housing for Wales to housing associations. Special Needs Management Allowance.

  2,300

  WO/HFW

  Total non voted cash limits

  111,082

  Total capital end year flexibility

  331,315

  Entitlement for 1995–96 cash limits and external finance limits resulting from the carryover of underspends on health expenditure

  Class

  Vote

  Accounting department

  Description of expenditure

  £ thousands

  XII

  1

  Department of Health

  Hospital, community health, family health services (part), related services, England

  232,136

  XII

  2

  Department of Health

  Administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England

  26,296

  780

  781

  Entitlement for 1995–96 cash limits and external finance limits resulting from the carryover of underspends on health expenditure

  Class

  Vote

  Accounting department

  Description of expenditure

  £ thousands

  XIV

  10

  The Scottish Home and Health Department

  Law, order and miscellaneous health and social work services, Scotland

  1,609

  XIV

  12

  The Scottish Home and Health Department

  Hospital, community health, family health (part), and other health services and NHS

  35,819

  XV

  3

  Welsh Office

  Roads and transport, housing, other environmental services, arts and libraries, health and personal social services and Welsh Office administration, Wales

  1,259

  XV

  5

  Welsh Office

  Hospital, community health, family health services (part) and related services, Wales

  24,438

  NHS Trusts (Scotland)

  Scottish Office

  22,921

  NHS Trusts (Wales)

  Welsh Office

  4,224

  NID

  1

  Northern Ireland Office

  Services in Northern Ireland broadly analogous to services in Great Britain covered by cash limits but including family practitioner services

  10,719

  Medicines Control Agency

  12,000

  Total health end year flexibility

  371,331

  Entitlements for 1995–96 running costs limits resulting from the carryforward of running costs underspends

  Department

  £ thousand

  Overseas Development Administration

  3,598

  Intervention Board—Executive Agency

  2,791

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  6,778

  Trade and Industry

  12,700

  Office of Fair Trading

  745

  Office of Telecommunications

  303

  Office of Electricity Regulation

  1,738

  Department of Employment

  41.003

  Department of Transport

  20,256

  Department of the Environment

  24,854

  Property Holdings

  4,838

  Office of Water Services

  819

  Home Office

  26,315

  Charity Commission

  732

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  549

  Northern Ireland Court Service

  327

  Crown Prosecution Service

  6,026

  Public Record Office

  160

  Serious Fraud Office

  878

  Treasury Solicitor's Department

  2,105

  Crown Office

  2,076

  Department for Education

  7,774

  Department of National Heritage

  3,206

  Department of Health

  20,550

  Office of Population Censuses and Surveys

  1,281

  Department of Social Security

  102,349

  Scottish Office

  8,940

  Scottish Courts Administration

  2,584

  Scottish Record Office

  782

  General Register Office

  439

  Welsh Office

  491

  Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales

  250

  Northern Ireland Office and Departments

  29,877

  Her Majesty's Treasury

  11,405

  Customs and Excise

  40,434

  Inland Revenue

  89,433

  Registry of Friendly Societies

  459

  Department for National Savings

  2,607

  Central Statistical Office

  76

  Office of Public Service and Science

  13,590

  Cabinet Office

  3,147

  Privy Council Office

  428

  Total running costs

  499,693

  782

  Entitlements for 1995–96 running costs limits resulting from the carryforward of running costs underspends

  Department

  £ thousand

  Entitlement for the Ministry of Defence resulting from the carryover of underspends on operating costs

  82,887

  Entitlement for the Jubilee Line extension

  49,300

  Notes:

  Following the machinery of Government changes announced by the Prime Minister on 5 July 1995, there will be some reallocation of EYF entitlements between departments. Details will be announced at the appropriate times.

  1. Part of this entitlement may be taken up on Class XV, Vote 1 Agriculture and fisheries, Wales.

  ECOFIN Meeting
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent Council meeting of the Economic and Finance Ministers of the European Union. [34723]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I represented the UK at the Economic and Finance Council—ECOFIN—of the European Union in Brussels on 10 July.

  There was a public debate on the incoming Spanish presidency's work programme for ECOFIN. The Spanish programme concentrates on fighting unemployment and on preparation for economic and monetary union. I emphasised the need for the European economies to create the conditions for rising employment, for a through and wide-ranging discussion on preparation for European monetary union, for the Council to take full account of EC budgetary restraints and to recognise that value for money and fighting fraud and waste should be a top priority.

  The Council agreed a number of procedural plans to ensure that the work commissioned by the Essen and Cannes European Councils on employment, EMU and the fight against fraud would be completed in time for ministerial discussion at the 27 November ECOFIN.
  783
  The Council adopted the 1995–96 broad economic guidelines which had been endorsed by the Cannes European Council.

  The Council agreed, voting by a modified form of qualified majority voting, confidential recommendations to each of the member states with an excessive deficit, with a view to those member states bringing their excessive deficits to an end within a given period.

  The Council reached political agreement on a regulation to introduce harmonised consumer price indices. Formal adoption will take place at a future Council once the European Parliament's opinion has been received.

  The Council discussed a draft directive on cross border credit transfers. No conclusions were drawn and the dossier was remitted to the Committee of Permanent Representatives for further consideration.

  The Council discussed a proposal for a reduced rate of VAT on cut flowers. There was no agreement in the Council and the presidency will undertake bilateral contacts to seek a solution.

  The Council heard a progress report from the Vice-President of the European Commission, Sir Leon Britian, on the World Trade Organisation and financial services negotiations.

  Governor of the Bank of England (Meeting)
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next plans to meet the Governor of the Bank

  Region

  Body

  Recipient

  Location

  Amount £

  England

  Sports

  Three Rivers District Council

  Herts

  1,043,000.00

  England

  Arts

  Nottingham Media Centre Ltd.

  Nottingham

  1,320,000.00

  England

  Arts

  Eastleigh Borough Council

  Hants.

  1,380,000.00

  England

  Sports

  South Shropshire District Council

  Shropshire

  1,432,500.00

  England

  Arts

  Scarborough Theatre Development Trust

  Scarborough

  1,480,000.00

  England

  Arts

  Sadlers Wells Theatre

  London

  1,500,000.00

  England

  Sports

  Woodspring District Council

  Avon

  1,574,000.00

  England

  Arts

  South Holland District Council

  Lincolnshire

  1,698,000.00

  England

  Sports

  Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council

  Northumberland

  1,712,000.00

  England

  Sports

  Lancaster City Council

  Lanes

  1,900,000.00

  Wales

  Arts

  The Cardiff Old Library Trust

  Cardiff

  2,000,000.00

  England

  Sports

  Poole Borough Council

  Dorset

  2,150,000.00

  England

  Arts

  Borough Council of King's Lynne and West Norfolk

  Norfolk

  2,236,000.00

  England

  NHMF

  Highcliffe Castle

  Dorset

  2,650,000.00

  England

  Sports

  University of Bath

  Avon

  2,662,000.00

  England

  Sports

  Wolverhapton Borough Council

  West Midlands

  3,185,500.00

  England

  Sports

  Sail Training Association

  Cleveland

  3,500,000.00

  England

  Sports

  Newcastle City Council

  Tyne and Wear

  3,500,000.00

  England

  Arts

  Ikon Gallery

  Birmingham

  3,676,000.00

  England

  Arts

  City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Society

  Birmingham

  3,729,305.00

  England

  Sports

  Royal Albert Dock Trust

  Inner London

  3,750,000.00

  England

  Sports

  Jubilee Sailing Trust

  Hants

  4,068,000.00

  England

  Arts

  Cambridge Arts Theatre Trust

  Cambridge

  6,640,000.00

  Scotland

  NHMF

  National Trust for Scotland-Mar Lodge Est.

  Cairngorms

  10,200,000.00

  England

  NHMF

  Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust

  Cambridge

  13,250,000.00

  Total

  82,236,305.00

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to discuss the mathematical and prize coefficients with the organisers of the national lottery. [34045]

  Mr. Sproat
  I have no such plans.784
  of England to discuss prospects for the United Kingdom economy. [32560]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor will next meet the Governor for his regular monthly monetary discussion on 27 July.

  Valuation Office Agency (Leeds)
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his future plans for the Valuation Office (Inland Revenue) accounts unit, currently located in Leeds. [33546]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 11 July 1995]: The work which the Valuation Office agency's Leeds accounts unit currently undertakes is under review as part of proposals to introduce a new accounting system into the agency next year. There is no intention to close the unit, but the range of its activities is likely to be reduced. This will not affect standards of service to the public, with whom the unit has no direct dealings. Any surplus staff will be redeployed locally on to other agency work.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  National Lottery
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list every project which has received over £1 million from the proceeds of the national lottery; and if she will make a statement. [33677]

  Mr. Sproat
  Twenty five projects have benefited from lottery awards of over £1 million and are as follows:

  Television (Sporting Rights)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how the Government propose that the BBC and ITV can meet-the increasing costs of sporting rights without damaging programme-making. [34331]
  785
  Mr. Sproat
  It is for the BBC and ITV companies to decide how to balance expenditure on programme making against the acquisition of programmes or sports rights from the revenues available to them.

  BBC (Debt)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the National Heritage if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that the BBC should reduce its debt; and if she will make a statement. [34330]

  Mr. Sproat
  In the light of a report by independent consultants, Touche Ross, the Government announced on 4 November 1993,Official Report, columns 309–10, that changes in the television fee would continue to be set at the level of RPI changes for the next three years. It was considered that this would enable the BBC to channel efficiency savings into programmes and allow it steadily to reduce and largely to eliminate its annual borrowing by the end of 1996–97. This policy was reiterated in the July 1994 White Paper on the future of the BBC.

  Churches (Subsidence Damage)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the churches by name and location that are suffering damage from mining subsidence; what discussions she has had with the Church authorities; and if she will make a statement. [32998]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department does not keep a list of such cases and has had no recent discussions on the subject. Where a building is affected by mining subsidence, the owner can claim compensation from the mine operator. In the case of an Anglican church, such a claim would normally be lodged by the incumbent and the parochial church council. I understand that the Council for the Care of Churches and individual parochial church councils discuss problems with mining operators as and when the need arises.

  BBC (Transmission Services)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she will announce the Government's decision on ownership of BBC transmission services. [34067]

  Mr. Sproat
  In due course.

  Internet
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to make departmental publications available on the Internet; and if she will give the Internet address of such documents as are available. [34070]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Department of National Heritage is considering the use of the Internet to distribute material. There are no plans at present to make any Departmental publications available on the Internet. Department of National Heritage press notices are available from the COI on http://www.coi.gov.uldcoi/depts/GHE/GHE.html

  FM Licences
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will lift the ban upon radio stations holding more than one FM licence in major urban areas. [33822]

  Mr. Sproat
  No. This measure provides an important safeguard for plurality in major urban areas.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fish-eating Birds (Research Contracts)
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what contracts for research into the problem of predation by fish-eating birds have now been let. [32546]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Ministry and the Department of the Environment are in discussion with the following contractor consortia about the projects listed against their names:

  Contractor

  Project

  Directorate of Fisheries Research, ADAS, Glasgow University, British Trust for Ornithology and the Central Science Laboratory

  Assessment of the problem of fish-eating birds in inland fisheries in England and Wales

  John Moores Liverpool University and Hull International Fisheries Institute

  Case studies of the effect of fish-eating birds on inland fisheries in England and Wales

  Central Science Laboratory, Directorate of Fisheries Research, ADAS, British Trust for Ornithology and Glasgow University

  Assessment of the effectiveness of different management measures on controlling damage by fish-eating birds to inland fisheries in England and Wales

  British Trust for Ornithology, Directorate of Fisheries Research, ADAS, Central Science Laboratory and Glasgow University

  Population distribution and movement of fish-eating birds in Great Britain

  Wildlife and Wetlands Trust, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology and Institute of Freshwater Ecology

  Feeding behaviour of fish-eating birds in Great Britain

  No contracts have yet been let pending the outcome of these discussions.

  Animal Welfare
  Sir Terrence Higgins
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food pursuant to his answer of 18 April,Official Report, column 104, what consideration led him to conclude that EC directive 91/628 does not apply to roll-on/roll-off ferries. [26149]

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 25 May 1995]: Directive 91/628 contains various provisions which unambiguously apply to roll-on/roll-off ferries, and we have applied them.
  787
  However, with regard to the requirement for isolation pens to be provided when animals are transported by sea, the intentions of the directive in relation to roll-on/roll-off ferries are not clear. The Department concluded that isolation pens need not be provided on such ferries in the light of practical considerations and of the fact that the availability of such pens would only very rarely indeed be of benefit in animal welfare terms.

  I am now reviewing the practicalities of the position to see whether there is anything more we could or should do, with the other member states involved, to improve welfare provisions on the rare occasions when animals may be found to be sick or injured during roll-on/roll-off transport.

  Industrial Fishing (Denmark)
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action his Department is taking to reduce industrial fishing by Denmark in the North sea. [32547]

  Mr. Baldry
  The latest available statistics show that catches by Danish vessels of sandeels and Norway pout—which are the main species of the North sea industrial fishery—were some 35 per cent. down on the previous year. None the less, the impact of industrial fishing needs to be better understood. We have been pressing for more scientific work to be done and the UK supported the recommendation of the recent North Sea Conference that there should be more research into the effects of industrial fishing. Such research will assist the European Commission to bring forward appropriate proposals for the better management of this fishery.

  Bees
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what figures are available to this Department indicating what proportion of the species of single bees recorded in the United Kingdom in the 19th century are still extant in Britain; and what proposals he has to study the pollination consequences of species demise on vegetation and crops. [33296]

  Mr. Boswell
  I have no information about the number of species of feral bees, to which I understand the question refers, in the 19th century or now. The Government's responsibility under the Bees Act 1980 and the Bees Diseases Control Order 1982 is to ensure that beekeepers do not introduce or spread bee diseases. Although feral bees have a role to play, a healthy population of managed bees will ensure the pollination needs of insect pollinated agricultural and horticultural crops as well as for wild flowers and plants.

  Waste Spreading Schemes
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what grounds his Ministry has designated waste spreading schemes on agricultural land, including ecologically sensitive areas, as permitted agricultural development. [33612]

  Mr. Boswell
  The designation of waste spreading schemes, whether as permitted agricultural development or not, is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. Questions on that matter should therefore be addressed to him.

  North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made as to whether United Kingdom interests are adequately represented on the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation. [33333]

  Mr. Baldry
  The European Commission represents the European Union at meetings of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO). The United Kingdom is fully represented on the European Union delegation, and I am satisfied that our interests are adequately represented at NASCO meetings.

  Common Agricultural Policy (Fraud)
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the European Union Agriculture Council last discussed the question of common agricultural policy related fraud. [33610]

  Mr. Baldry
  Fraud against the EU budget, which includes the CAP, is more appropriate to the European Council of Finance Ministers, which discusses Community anti-fraud initiatives regularly, the last occasion being 19 June. In the Agriculture Council, reducing the scope for fraud forms an important part of the Council's consideration of all new proposals or any amendments to existing CAP legislation.

  Sheep Dip
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what correspondence he has on the subject of the Veterinary Products Committee's response to the Health and Safety executive's research report (NO 74/1995) on the neurological effects of sheep dip; and if he will make a statement. [33772]

  Mrs. Browning
  My right hon. and learned Friend's predecessor received a letter from the chairman of the Veterinary Products Committee, submitting its advice following consideration of the report from the Institute of Occupational Health, commissioned by the Health and Safety executive. A copy of that letter, together with the committee's advice, is in the Library of the House. We have received no other correspondence on the VPC's response.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to aid the introduction of alternatives to organophosphate sheep dips. [33774]

  Mrs. Browning
  The development of alternatives to organophosphorus sheep dips is a commercial matter for the veterinary pharmaceutical industry. The Government have previously made it clear that the Veterinary Medicines Directorate will do all it can to complete assessments of such products expeditiously and that when they contain new active ingredients, it will also strive to speed the necessary approval of maximum residue limits through the EC Committee on Veterinary Medicinal Products. That remains the case. A number of alternatives non-organophosphorus products are now available.

  Veterinary Products Committee (Minutes)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the meetings and topics discussed at each of the Veterinary Products Committee meetings for the last six months; and if he will place a copy of the agendas and minutes in the Library. [33771]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Veterinary Products Committee has met on the following dates during the last six months: 19 January 1995, 16 February 1995, 16 March 1995,20 April 1995, 18 May 1995 and 15 June 1995.

  In accordance with the committee's normal practice, a news release was issued after the meeting, reporting on the topics discussed. Copies are available in the Library of the House. The agenda and minutes of the committee's meetings contain commercially confidential material and cannot be made available.

  Intervention Board
  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has completed the three-year review of the Intervention Board executive agency, and if he will make a statement. [34471]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have considered and approved a full evaluation of the Intervention Board executive agency, which has been operating as an executive agency since April 1990 in accordance with the Government's commitment to evaluate next steps agencies. The evaluation concluded that the agency successfully met its objectives in its first three years of operation and should continue for a further five years, at which time another evaluation will take place. I have today placed in the Library copies of the agency's evaluation and framework documents.

  Mr. Sykes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the Intervention Board performed against its targets for 1994–5; and what key performance targets Agriculture Ministers have set the agency for 1995–96. [34472]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Intervention Board's performance against its key targets in 1994–95 was as follows:

  1994–95

  Target (per cent.)

  Performance (per cent.)

  Percentage of claims processed within deadlines

  98.5

  99.9

  Percentage of claims processed correctly

  98.5

  98.7

  Cumulative running cost of efficiency gains

  2.5

  3.6

  Improvement in index of productivity

  6.0

  -0.5

  Ratio of disallowance to EAGGF funds handled

  0.4

  0.96

  To maintain expenditure within vote provision cash and running cost limits

  —

  Met

  New value for money saving in procurement of goods and services

  5.0

  6.7

  790
  In agreement with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I have set the following targets for 1995–96:

  Target (per cent.)

  Percentage of claims processed with deadlines

  98.5

  Percentage of claims processed correctly

  98.5

  Cumulative running cost efficiency gains

  2.5

  Improvement in index of productivity

  6.0

  Ration of disallowance to EAGGF funds handled

  0.40

  To maintain expenditure within vote provision, cash and running cost limits

  New value for money savings procurement of goods and services

  6.0

  Yield: cost ratio of anti-fraud activites 3.0:1.0

  Live Animal Expots
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total figure of all live exports for immediate slaughter for each year from 1992 to date. [33977]

  Mrs. Browning
  The available information is given in the table, which excludes 1993 for which no figures were available.

  Animals inspected and certified as fit for transportation prior to export from Great Britain to other member states for immediate slaughter

  1992

  1994

  1995 (to May)

  Cattle

  115

  233

  nil

  Sheep

  326,777

  76,039

  4,126

  Pigs

  691

  8,762

  nil

  Goats

  150

  1

  nil

  Totals

  327,733

  85,035

  4,126

  Sources:

  1. Annual Report of the Chief Veterinary Officer (for 1992).

  2. ANIMO computer system figures for 1994 and 1995 (provisional and subject to change).

  London Commodity Exchange (Cocoa)
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans his Department has to review the decision to sell the United Kingdom's share of the buffer stock of cocoa beans in the light of the New York Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange's takeover bid for the London Commodity Exchange. [34312]

  Mr. Baldry
  None. The question of any possible future changes in the London Commodity Exchange has no bearing on the decision to liquidate the cocoa buffer stock.

DEFENCE

  EDS (Departmental Contracts)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contracts that his Department has with the computer company EDS. [33173]
  791
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The Ministry of Defence has a number of current contracts with EDS Defence Ltd. but details of the individual contracts are a matter of commercial confidentiality between the Department and the company.

  Astra Holdings (Ministerial Connections)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any individual occupying a ministerial position at the Ministry of Defence at any time since 1979 has had any connections or material influence on the running of Astra Holdings plc. [33919]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I know of no evidence that any hon. Member appointed to a ministerial position at the Ministry of Defence since 1979 has failed to comply with the requirements of Questions of Procedure for Ministers. I cannot answer for the activities of hon. Members before they became Ministers.

  Nuclear Weapons Testing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alternatives exist to nuclear testing; and if he proposes to hold any tests of United Kingdom nuclear weapons. [34187]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I have nothing to add to the replies given to the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Luff) on 4 July,Official Report, column 135 and to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 10 July, Official Report, column 469.

  Ministry Property Sales
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 10 July,Official Report, column 469, on how many occasions his Department has monitored what has since happened to old Ministry of Defence properties; and if he will provide details. [34291]

  Mr. Soames
  All houses sold at a discount through the sales to service men scheme or under alternative right-to-buy arrangements include a provision for some of the discount to be repaid in the event that they are resold within a specified period. In addition, some form of clawback arrangement may be included if houses are sold in bulk or as part of a larger sale. Although no central record is kept of such sales, my noble Friend, the then Under-Secretary of State for Defence, wrote to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett) on 8 June listing those completed in the previous 12 months which included a clawback arrangement. A copy of his letter was placed in the Library of the House.

  Staff (Shareholdings)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department or its agencies have(a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years, indicating the companies concerned. [33429]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Staff are required to report to line management any private investment in companies with which they have official dealings. No central records are maintained, but cases of doubt are referred to a central point for decision. The position on cases referred for 792
  decision in the last five years remains unchanged from the information provided in response to the hon. Member at the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee on 3 April 1995.

  RAF Kinloss
  Mr. MacDonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the presence of military personnel at Kinloss during the week of 19 to 23 June was connected with the disposal of the Brent Spar oil installation. [33775]

  Mr. Soames
  RAF Kinloss is a major military air station which, at any one time, has a substantial military presence, with personnel engaged on various activities. Responsibility for upholding the law during the Shell operation to dispose of the Brent Spar oil platform rested with the Grampian police. Military personnel would have become involved only if the police had requested this and, in the event, no such request was forthcoming. Contingency arrangements were, however, put in place in anticipation of a possible police request for service logistical assistance and a Royal Marine detachment and supporting elements were deployed to Kinloss against this contingency.

  Land Mines
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the recent report by the United Nations Secretary General which calls for a total ban on the export of anti-personnel land mines. [34211]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  We support international efforts to strengthen controls on the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel land mines, but believe that total ban at this stage would neither secure broad international agreement nor be properly implemented.

  Bosnia (Troops Insurance Cover)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what insurance cover is available for British troops serving in Bosnia; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of cover available for British troops. [34240]

  Mr. Soames
  British service personnel serving in Bosnia have available to them the PAXplus personal accident insurance scheme which provides cover 365 days a year 24 hours a day whether on or off duty. This scheme, started in 1989, and arranged through a commercial broker and insurance company, provides a range of benefits covering both death and disability as a result of an accident with the level of cover dependent on the number of units purchased by the service man or woman.

  The PAXplus scheme was set up specifically for service personnel and provides cover for military service of any kind up to and including general war. The conditions of the policy are therefore considered satisfactory while the amount of financial cover available is a matter for individuals to assess and the number of units that an individual chooses to purchase. Service personnel are of course free to take out appropriate insurance.
  793
  Each of the three services run small voluntary life schemes which make immediate payments in the event of a death. Also there are service personnel who will be members of schemes set up prior to PAXplus which will provide accident and death benefits.

  EF2000 Programme
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the German Parliament's approval of funding for EF2000. [34212]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Bundestage approval of additional funds for the reorientated development phase of the Eurofighter 2000 programme was given on 28 June. This has cleared the way for the four partner nations to sign memorandum of understanding 4 which puts into formal effect the "reorientation" of the project as agreed by Defence Ministers in December 1992.

  Army Attack Helicopters
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the order for the Army attack helicopters; and if he will make a statement. [34213]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement made earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the criteria used by his Department to decide the procurement of Army attack helicopters. [34239)

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The attack helicopter contenders have been carefully assessed against the criteria of operational effectiveness, through-life costs, risk and industrial implications.

  Royal Yacht Britannia
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy concerning the future of the royal yacht Britannia. [34210]

  Mr. Soames
  As announced on 23 June 1994,Official Report, column 248, HMY Britannia is to be decommissioned in 1997. We are currently examining various options for her future use after she has been withdrawn from service. We hope to find a way of enabling her to continue to serve a useful purpose for the nation, even though she will no longer go to sea. Her Majesty the Queen's views will be sought before any decision is taken on this matter.

  Procurement Policy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what response he has made to representations by his French counterpart regarding a European preference, in buying weapons, from members of a European armament agency; and if he will make a statement. [34241]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has received no formal representations from his French counterpart on this matter. The United Kingdom maintains a policy of seeking value for money in procurement and of open competition whenever possible.

  Indonesia
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the provisions of the memorandum of understanding signed in November 1991 by the British and Indonesian Governments and referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) of 27 October 1992,Official Report, columns 614–15. [34316]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 3 July,Official Report, column 90.

  Iran: UN Special Rapporteur's Resignation
  Iran: UN Special Rapporteur's Resignation
  Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972: Receipts from Local Authorities
  Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972: Receipts from Local Authorities
  Author's Copyright: Extension
  Author's Copyright: Extension
  Social Fund Home Start-up Grant Proposal
  Social Fund Home Start-up Grant Proposal
  European Space Satellite System Discussions
  European Space Satellite System Discussions
  Guinness plc
  Guinness plc
  Land Registry: Triennial Review
  Land Registry: Triennial Review
  Peat: Planning Guidance
  Peat: Planning Guidance
  State of the Construction Industry
  State of the Construction Industry
  Sheep Dipping Effects: Study
  Sheep Dipping Effects: Study
  Organophosphates: Use with Other Materials
  Organophosphates: Use with Other Materials
  Crown Court Pre-Trial Hearings
  Crown Court Pre-Trial Hearings
  Firearms Consultative Committee Report
  Firearms Consultative Committee Report
  Burglary: Cautioning Guidance
  Burglary: Cautioning Guidance
  Category A Prisoners: Escapes
  Category A Prisoners: Escapes