Written Answers of 14 July 1995

DEFENCE

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received. [34550]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  European Procurement Collaboration
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy concerning European procurement collaborations. [34543]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The UK actively pursues defence equipment collaboration with our European allies when collaboration offers value for money and satisfies our military requirements.

  Advisers
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his special adviser has previous connections with defence companies. [34542]

  Mr. Portillo
  My special adviser, Alison Broom, has been a public affairs consultant during two phases of her career. Between 1 September 1993 and 20 July 1994 one of her clients was Rolls-Royce plc.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Mr. David Hart will remain as his independent adviser; and if he will make a statement. [34541]

  Mr. Portillo
  Yes.

  £ million

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Midland and Oxford

  21.479

  23.475

  28.615

  32.700

  40.285

  North Eastern

  15.041

  18.859

  20.642

  23.476

  24.672

  Northern

  19.017

  24.208

  29.335

  29.619

  34.341

  South Eastern

  77.114

  90.670

  108.805

  113.528

  113.421

  Wales and Chester

  7.682

  10.199

  11.237

  14.395

  19.383

  Western

  14.513

  16.770

  19.124

  19.311

  24.989

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received. [34558]
  796

  BMARC
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the applications for export licences for military equipment made by BMARC since 1985 which were examined by his Department in conjunction with the export control office. [30524]

  Mr. Nelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  As a matter of course, my Department circulates all export licence applications dealt with under the military list to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and to the Ministry of Defence.

  BMARC made the following export licence applications from 1985 to 1990. All were dealt with under the military list.

  Number

  1985

  144

  1986

  128

  1987

  171

  1988 BMARC

  126

  1988 Astra Defence Systems

  3

  1989 BMARC

  50

  1989 Astra Defence Systems

  43

  1990 Astra Defence Systems

  172

  1985–90 Total

  837

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will state for each year the gross Crown court legal aid expenditure by each regional legal aid board for the last five years. [32901]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information cannot be provided in the form requested because Crown court legal aid expenditure is administered by the Court Service, not by the legal aid board. The table shows gross Crown court legal aid expenditure by administrative circuit for each of the last five years.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The chief executives of the Land Registry and the Public Record Office will respond on behalf of their agencies, which are separate Departments.

  For my Department, including the Court Service and Public Trust Office agencies, the information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided for all five years only at disproportionate cost.
  797
  On the best information available, a list of the top 10 suppliers, and the value of computer equipment provided, is attached for the last financial year.

  Supplier

  Value £

  Siemens Nixdorf Ltd.

  3,514,310

  Bull Information Systems

  1,144,777

  HMSO

  824,902

  Digital Equipment Co Ltd.

  664,111

  Computacenter

  305,325

  Mitech Europe Ltd.

  69,222

  Digital Computer Services

  58,138

  Action Computer Supplies

  57,342

  Hewlett Packard Ltd.

  44,200

  Cray Communications Ltd.

  33,086

  Top 10 suppliers of computer equipment (hardware) for each of the last five years

  1990–911

  1991–921

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  IBM

  5,931,638

  IBM

  6,676,212

  ICL Nokia Data

  1,211,825

  ICL Nokia Data

  1,029,705

  IBM

  1,693,623

  IBM

  734,354

  IBM

  503,939

  ICL Nokia Data

  1,454,286

  Pragma Ltd.

  186,142

  Storagetek

  195,050

  Memorex Telex

  540,411

  Dell Computer Corporation

  41,925

  Dell Computer Corporation

  51,219

  Storagetek

  321,950

  Dynatech Communications

  31,175

  Dynatech Communications Ltd

  49,080

  Dell Computer Corporation Ltd

  189,474

  Fivemere Ltd.

  25,053

  Pragma

  31,278

  Intergraph

  142,367

  Specialist Computer Centres

  20,774

  Computacentre

  107,274

  Computacenter

  6,056

  Computacenter

  19,648

  Specialist Computers Centres

  86,329

  Technology Plc

  2,795

  Technology Plc

  17,220

  Fivemere

  24,851

  Intergraph (UK) Ltd

  1,175

  Intergraph (UK) Ltd

  13,867

  Dynatech Communication Ltd

  2,375

  1(See Letter)

  Letter from Dr. Elizabeth Hallam Smith to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 14 July 1995:
  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION: SUPPLIERS OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT In the absence of the Chief Executive, who is on leave, I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply to your question about the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to the Public Record Office and the total value of the contracts.

  The top 10 suppliers of computer equipment in the last five years were:

  1. Logica UK

  2. Bull Information Systems Ltd.

  3. Dell Computer Corporation Ltd.

  4. Optichrome Computer Systems Ltd.

  5. Computer World

  6. Equanet Ltd.

  7. Technology plc

  8. HMSO

  9. Syntax Integration Ltd.

  10. Simmons MaGee

  The total value of the contracts in the last 5 years was £2,374,100.
  798
  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 14 July 1995:
  PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION—SUPPLIERS OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT
  I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department to reply to your recent question about the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment, and the total value of the contracts received, in each of the last five years.
  The Annex enclosed lists the top 10 suppliers and the total cost of computer equipment supplied during the five year period. Data for 1990/1 and 1991/92 is not held in a form which would enable full information to be provided for those years without disproportionate cost. However the largest supplier during those years has been shown, together with the annual cost of equipment. This relates to mainframe purchases to support the land registration application processing system, a major government computing installation.
  I do hope that this answers the points raised with the Parliamentary Secretary, but please contact me if I can be of further assistance.

PRIME MINISTER

  Deputy Prime Minister
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister what precedents he relied on for the creation of a Deputy Prime Minister; which of the previous Deputy Prime Ministers were Ministers without departmental portfolio; how many of these chaired Cabinet committees; and what committees were involved. [34204]

  The Prime Minister
  The following are precedents for a Minister acting as Deputy Prime Minister:

  Name

  Period in office

  The right hon. Clement Attlee (also Secretary for the Dominions 1942–43; Lord President of the Council 1943–45)

  19 February 1942 to 23 May 1945

  The right hon R. A. Butler (also First Secretary of State and Minister in charge of The Central African Office)

  13 July 1962 to 18 October 1963

  799

  The right hon. (Viscount) William Whitelaw (also Home Secretary 1979–83; Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords 1983–88)

  4 May 1979 to 10 January 1988

  The right hon. Sir Geoffrey Howe (also Lord President of The Council and Leader of the House of Commons)

  24 July 1989 to 1 November 1990

  As I have previously stated, it is not the practice to release the details of Cabinet committees of previous Administrations.

  Conservative Party Leadership Campaign
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost to public funds of entertainment or travel expenses incurred in his campaign for the leadership of the Conservative party. [34203]

  The Prime Minister
  Any additional costs to the public purse were de minimis and in accordance with long-standing practice; no charge will be levied.

  World Wide Web
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work his Department has carried out in the last 12 months in making information about his Department available to the public via the Government world wide web server known as "www.open.gov.uk" and his plans and policies to make additional and new information available electronically on the server in the next 12 months. [34683]

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

  Ministerial Salaries
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister what annual salary the Prime Minister is currently(a) entitled to and (b) drawing. [34003]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer to the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 9 June 1995,Official Report, column 345.

  "List of Ministerial Responsibilities"
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister which Government Minister will be responsible for publishing a revised edition of "List of Ministerial Responsibilities" taking into account the recent changes in responsibilities announced in his recent Government reshuffle. [34575]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster today.
  800

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Sports Policy
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on Government sports policy. [34286]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Government have today published a sports policy statement, "Sport: Raising the Game", which sets out our ideas for a new deal for sports at all levels. All right hon. and hon. Members have been sent a copy and copies are also available in the Vote Office.

  Sport is important because it is part of our heritage. It teaches us lessons for life such as team spirit and sportsmanship and playing within rules. It is also vital as a means of introducing young people to a healthy way of life.

  It is, therefore, the Government's objective to expand the opportunities to take part in sport, particularly for the young, and to provide the means for people of all abilities and ages to fulfil their sporting potential. The Government believe the time is right for this initiative because, from 1 January 1996, the new United Kingdom and English sports councils will replace the Great Britain Sports Council to work alongside those which already exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and to help to deliver our objectives. British sport will also be one of the biggest winners in the national lottery: 440 sports projects across the UK have already been awarded £74,262,000 of lottery money.

  I should confirm that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will be launching today his document entitled "Scotland's Sporting Future: A New Start" setting out proposals geared to raising the profile of sport in schools and beyond in the light of Scotland's needs and circumstances. Copies of his document are being sent to all Scottish Members.

  Schools

  "Raising the Game" sets out a four-point plan, which starts in schools. It is in school that lessons can be learnt about sport's potential for enjoyment, health and the development of social skills.

  The new national curriculum ensures that physical education continues to be one of only five subjects which pupils of all abilities must study throughout their school life. It also gives an enhanced position to competitive sport, including team games. However, the Government believe that school sport should go well beyond what is required by the national curriculum. The recent curriculum review has freed more time for schools to use at their discretion, and the Government now wish to see two hours of formal lesson time devoted to PE and sport in all schools.

  Schools must also provide opportunities for sport outside formal curriculum time, be it in lunchtimes, in the afternoons and evenings or at weekends and in the holidays. It should form a continuum with the formal PE curriculum, and there should be a clear expectation that all pupils who want to are able to play games outside school hours.

  The Government also believe it is important for parents to know what is available from individual schools and how they measure up to the best. We will require schools

  801
  to include details in their annual prospectuses of their sporting aims and provision for sport, and to record in their governors' annual report these aims and their sporting achievements during the year. Schools and others with an interest will be consulted on what information will be most useful to parents and the community.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked the Office for Standards in Education to carry out more detailed inspections of the quality and range of games both in and out of the curriculum. Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools has also been asked to report annually in future, specifically on the state of PE and sport in schools.

  In order to recognise those schools which have good sporting provision, the Government will be establishing a sportsmark scheme for schools which have effective policies for promoting sport. For the most innovative schools, there will be an additional award, a gold star for outstanding achievement. A consultation paper on the criteria for sportsmark is being issued today to schools and sporting organisations.

  In order for schools to improve their delivery of sport, it is vital that there are sufficient numbers of qualified and competent teachers. The recent overhaul of the teacher training system will ensure that new PE specialists have the skills to deliver the strengthened system set out in the policy statement. But the Government intend to go beyond this by introducing a comprehensive programme of action on coaching. Through this, all training and serving teachers, whatever their academic discipline, and competent volunteers, will have the opportunity to acquire coaching qualifications.

  Clubs

  Schools provide the basis for a lifetime of sporting enjoyment but they cannot operate alone. The Government wish to see schools and clubs forming links to share facilities and resources for their mutual benefit. In order to promote such links, the Sports Council will establish a challenge fund of £2 million. All schools and clubs will be able to apply to the fund which will be available for projects such as specialist coaching for pupils and coach training for teachers.

  The council will also require governing bodies of sports played in schools to include provision for effective school-club links in their business plans. The Sports Council's regional offices will also have an important part to play by using their local knowledge to assist clubs and schools in establishing links.

  The national lottery provides schools and clubs with an unprecedented opportunity to forge links by making funds available for improving existing facilities, building new facilities and purchasing equipment. The Government have set themselves the target that by the year 2000 all young people will have access to quality facilities, including playing fields. The national lottery provides a means of achieving that goal.

  Action must also be taken to stop the loss of playing fields, which has occurred over many years. We will therefore shortly consult on a proposal that the Sports Council should be given the status of a statutory consultee on planning proposals affecting all playing fields.

  The private sector also has an important part to play in the provision of sport in the clubs and schools. The
  802
  Government wish to encourage business sponsorship of sport in schools and have asked the Sports Council to make this a priority. The private sector can help sport in a number of ways such as sponsoring a school team, adopting a sporting facility or sponsoring coaches to work in the schools.

  Further and higher education

  Many colleges and universities already have good-quality sporting facilities and offer students the chance to take part in sport both within the institution and in inter-college or university competitions. However, a more detailed picture of provision for sport and sports facilities in further and higher education institutions is needed if we are to know what more might be done. The Further Education Funding Council has therefore agreed to draw up a comprehensive analysis of sporting provision and facilities in the further education sector and report to us with recommendations for action. The FEFC will update its information annually and will require institutions to publish details of their sporting provision.

  The Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals and the Standing Conference of Principals have agreed to provide similar information for the higher education sector. They have also agreed to recommend to their members that potential students have available, through the prospectus or a similar document, information on the sports provision they offer.

  To allow as many sportsmen and women to train and compete at the highest level while studying for higher education qualifications, a number of universities have established systems of sports scholarships. These universities provide a number of services to their sports scholars such as flexible study times and bursaries to provide for training and travel costs. To encourage the wider spread of best practice in university sports scholarships, and to encourage further private sector sponsorship, the Government are setting up a working group to look at the whole question of sport scholarships at university, and related matters of sport for students. I am pleased to announce that Sir Roger Bannister has agreed to serve as its chairman. The CVCP and SCOP have agreed to be represented on the working party. An announcement on membership will be made shortly.

  Finally, the statement takes forward the process of building a real British commitment to the development of elite sport, and sets out proposals for a network of institutions to provide the facilities and services to enable those with talent to compete at national and international level.

  The Government therefore want to see established a British academy of sport for top athletes. The Government envisage that a British academy of sport would offer residential accommodation, scholarships and bursaries, the highest level of training, coaching, sports facilities, sport science and sports medicine. To take this proposal forward, the Government have asked the Sports Council, and its successor bodies, to work up proposals for the academy and then, following consultation, to invite bids.

  The sports councils across the UK will invite bids for national lottery funding including, if appropriate, for revenue or endowment funding.

  The Government also envisage the setting up of regional centres of excellence. These would also be eligible for lottery funding.
  803
  Academies of individual sports, to be set up and run by the governing bodies of those sports, would also be eligible for funding from the lottery.

  Together, the Government's radical proposals for putting sport back at the heart of school life, for encouraging a far closer link between schools and sports clubs, for setting up a national academy of sport, with the highest possible standards, and for putting more money into sport than we have ever done before combine to make this the most important day for sport in a generation.

  Departmental Contracts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by her 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, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993–94 and 1994–95. [33913]

  Mr. Sproat
  Neither my Department nor its agencies have let contracts with Coopers and Lybrand, Arthur Anderson, Grant Thornton, Robson Rhodes or Pannell Kerr Forster in the years 1993–94 and 1994–95. However, contracts with the following companies were let by my Department and its agencies during that period:

  Company

  Number of Contracts

  Total cost £

  1993–94

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  2

  104,200

  Ernst and Young

  1

  4,500

  Stoy Hayward

  1

  9,500

  1994–95

  KPMG Peak Marwick

  3

  98,102

  Price Waterhouse

  1

  19,000

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which her Department has been engaged since 1980. [33467]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department commissioned a consultant to examine future options, one of which was privatisation, for the future of the BBC transmission service. The cost of this consultancy was £172,000.

  Neither of my two agencies has commissioned any consultancy of this nature.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will indicate which five consultancy firms have received most contracts from her Department(a) by number of contracts and (b) monetary value in the last five years of which figures are available. [33448]
  804
  Mr. Sproat
  My Department was established in April 1992 and took on- responsibility for funding its own consultancies in August 1992. All contracts are awarded on the basis of value for money. To date the five consultancy firms which have received the most contracts from my Department, by number of contracts and monetary value, are as follows:

  Number of contracts

  Consultancy firm

  Number of contracts

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  6

  Watts and Partners

  5

  Search Training International

  4

  Hill Samuel Blank Limited

  3

  Moon Communications

  3

  (b) Monetary value

  Consultancy firm

  Value of contracts awarded (exclusive VAT) £

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  332,000

  Hill Samuel Bank Limited

  327,000

  Touche Ross

  192,000

  Simmons Surveys

  150,000

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many contracts her Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33566]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department was established in April 1992 and took on responsibility for funding its own consultancies in August 1992. Since that time my Department and its two agencies have awarded 166 contracts to consultancy firms. The total cost in each of the years for which figures are available is as follows:

  Year

  Expenditure £

  1992–93

  2,078,513

  1993–94

  2,466,753

  1994–95

  1,622,022

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which firms of consultants employed by her Department over the last year have been paid more than £1,000 per day. [33876]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: During the last year my Department has awarded contracts to several consultancy firms. Only in two instances have we paid more than £1,000 per day for the services of an individual consultant. These particular contracts were with KPMG and Hill Samuel Bank Ltd.

  Mr. Alan Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which firms have won computer consultancy contracts from her Department and its agencies over the last five years; and what is the number of contracts per firm. [33888]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: My Department was established in April 1992 and took on responsibility for funding its own consultancies in August

  805
  1992. The following computer consultants have been engaged by my Department and its agencies since that time.

  Name of contracts

  Number of consultant awarded

  Sema

  1

  SISL

  1

  CCTA

  11

  Internet Solutions

  1

  Profile Consultants

  1

  Mr. Page

  1

  KPMG

  1

  SouthBank Systems PLC

  1

  Simmons Survey Partnership

  1

  1 Call-off arrangement.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much her 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. [33858]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: The Department of National Heritage was established on 13 April 1992. Since that date my Department's expenditure on computer consultancy support has been as follows:

  1992–93: £201,456

  1993–94: £38,000

  1994–95: £231,850

  1995–96: £219,000

  Expenditure on computer consultancy support in the next five years will reflect business requirements and is likely to be broadly similar to that for 1995–96.

  Departmental Staff (Shareholdings)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many staff in her 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. [33411]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Department of National Heritage was created in April 1992. It has two agencies—the Royal Parks Agency, created in April 1993, and the Historic Royal Palaces Agency, created in October 1989. Within those timeframes one member of staff—working in the central Department—has to date declared a shareholding. This is in the Lappa Valley Railway Company, Cornwall. The member of staff has not been advised to dispose of the shares held.

TRANSPORT

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against his Department during the last 12 months; how many were successful; and what were the total costs including legal fees and compensation. [34620]

  Mr. Norris
  Staff who are dismissed and who have more than two years' service can appeal to the Civil Service Appeal Board or to the industrial tribunal or to both.
  806
  Three cases were referred to the Civil Service Appeal Board; one was dismissed, one was withdrawn and the third is still in progress.

  A further four cases were referred to the industrial tribunal; two were out of time and one is still in progress. In the fourth, the Department and appellant agreed a settlement of £900 and the case did not proceed.

  Further details of costs are not readily available and I will write to the hon. Member.

  Cut-and-shut Vehicles
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what review is being considered by his Department on controls to stop the selling of damaged cars with particular reference to cut-and-shut cars; and if he will make a statement. [34341]

  Mr. Norris
  The Road Traffic Act 1988 already makes it an offence to sell an unroadworthy vehicle, unroadworthiness being defined in terms of defects which carry potentially serious road safety implications. I am currently considering the specific issue of cut-and-shut vehicles in the context of whether any change in legislation would be justified.

  Crime (London Underground)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the number of(a) assaults and (b) robberies on each of the London Underground stations on the Northern line in each of the last six months; and if he will make a statement [34501]

  Mr. Norris
  This is an operational matter for London Underground.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the percentage change in(a) robbery, (b) pickpocketing, (c) indecent assault, (d) assault on passengers and staff and (e) total crime on London Underground between 1993 and 1994 and between 1994 and 1995 on an annualised basis. [34308]

  Mr. Norris
  The figures for 1993–94 and 1994–95, supplied by London Underground Ltd., are set out in the table.

  Offence

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Percentage increase/decrease

  Total crime

  13,928

  14,999

  + 7.7

  Assaults on passengers

  490

  359

  -26.7

  Assaults on staff

  120

  94

  -21.7

  Robbery

  517

  614

  +18.8

  Indecent assault

  253

  246

  -2.8

  Pickpocketing

  7,286

  8,352

  +14.6

  Traffic Calming Measures
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has done on the impact of traffic calming measures on children's outdoor play in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [34452]
  807
  Mr. Norris
  The effects of traffic calming on the way in which pedestrians, including children, use local roads is being investigated as part of our current research programme. Past research has not examined any specific effects that there might be on children's street play.

  Midland Main Line
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimate(a) of the increase in traffic on the M1 of a 20 per cent. reduction of the midland main line passenger service and (b) of the equivalent reduction of M1 traffic of a 20 per cent. improvement in that service. [34522]

  Mr. Watts
  The Department of Transport has employed consultants to study the potential for transferring road traffic on to the midland main line. The consultant's report was published last year. On the basis of these findings, a 20 per cent. increase or decrease in service frequency on the midland main line would, on average, alter the number of cars on the M1 by around one third of 1 per cent.

  EUCARIS Scheme
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he is making to seek to extend the EUCARIS scheme to the rest of the European Community; and what representations his Department is making to Interpol to extend the scheme further. [34027]

  Mr. Norris
  The meeting of the EUCARIS Participants Board held at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on 13 and 14 June drew up a plan for informing other countries and organisations about the scheme. The agency is playing a full part in taking this plan forward in conjunction with other participating registration authorities.

  Channel Tunnel Rail Link
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many tenderers for the CTRL put forward variant bids; [34277]

  (2) how many tenderers for the CTRL produced additional bids which identify essential changes in the reference design as set out in the competition overview. [34273]

  Mr. Watts
  All details of all the bids are commercially confidential.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what year the Government commitment as set out in the draft development agreement for the channel tunnel rail link not to upgrade existing railway lines between London and the channel tunnel to the extent they could be used as high-speed lines lapses. [34275]

  Mr. Watts
  I refer the hon. Member to section 8.6.1 of the "Competition Overview". The second indented paragraph states:"any subsidy or financial assistance provided by the Government in relation to the existing routes between London and the Channel Tunnel would be limited to their repair and refurbishment, and would not encompass any improvement to allow them to be used as high speed lines".
  808
  No termination date has been set for that commitment, which will be enshrined in the development agreement.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent the initial bid for the channel tunnel rail link put forward by Eurorail failed to conform with the requirements of the tender document. [34539]

  Mr. Watts
  All details of all the bids are commercially confidential.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest estimate of the range of public subsidy likely to be required for the construction of the channel tunnel rail link. [34540]

  Mr. Watts
  I have nothing to add to my earlier reply to the hon. Member on this point on 6 June 1995,Official Report column 41.

  Signal Failures (Merseyrail)
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received regarding failures to the(a) the signalling system and (b) passenger information system on the northern line of Merseyrail; and if he will make a statement. [35022]

  Mr. Watts
  Railtrack has informed me that it has worked steadily to overcome the problems which it has experienced following the installation of the Sandhills system which controls the signalling on the Merseyrail lines. Up to three weeks ago it was achieving 95 per cent. performance targets. Since then performance has been badly affected by a combination of adverse weather and vandalism. Railtrack informs me that it and Merseyrail have kept local news media informed about the causes of the disruption to services.

  Problems relating to the implementation of new software have delayed the commissioning of the new passenger information system on the northern and Wirral lines. Measures have been put in place to improve the standard of information available to passengers in the absence of passenger information displays and automatic public address systems. Railtrack expects to commission the customer information displays at the end of October and the phased renewal and commissioning of the automatic passenger announcing system by mid-December.

WALES

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. [32277]

  Mr. Hague
  The following visits were undertaken by Ministers and officials:
  809

  Year

  Destination

  Minister/Party

  Duration/Dates

  1992

  United States, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong

  Mr. David Hunt and 4 officials

  18 days

  1993

  Taiwan, Singapore

  Sir Wyn Roberts, 2 officials, 1 WDA representative

  6 days

  1993

  Japan, United States

  Mr. John Redwood, 2 officials and 1 WDA representative

  9 days

  1994

  Japan

  Mr. John Redwood, 2 officials and 1 WDA representative

  7 days

  The 1992 visit also included Regional Links engagements with the Prefecture of Oita.

  These visits were undertaken to promote inward investment into Wales.

  Year

  Destination

  Minister1

  Duration/Dates

  1992

  Italy (Milan)

  Sir Wyn Roberts

  2 days 16–17 November

  1993

  Switzerland (Zurich)

  Sir Wyn Roberts

  2 days 9–10 June

  1993

  Singapore and Malaysia

  Sir Wyn Roberts

  2 days 18–24 June

  Year

  Destination

  Minister1

  Duration dates

  Purpose

  1992

  Paris

  Sir Wyn Roberts and 1 official

  1 day

  One day visit to Salon International De L'Alimentation.

  1992

  Barcelona

  Mr. Bennett and 3 officials

  3 days 18–20 Feb

  To participate in the Four Nations Conference on disability.

  1992

  Brussels

  Mr. David Hunt and 2 officials

  1 day

  To address the Regional Development Section of the EC Economic and Social Committee.

  1992

  Brussels

  Mr. David Hunt and 2 officials

  2 nights

  Opening of the Wales European Centre and a meeting with Commissioner Millan.

  1993

  Stuttgart

  Mr. David Hunt and 2 officials

  1 day

  To attend part of Wales Art Week.

  1993

  Brussels

  Mr. David Hunt and 1 official

  1 day

  To meet the UK Ambassador to Belgium and to have brief talks with Commissioners Steichen, Ruberti and Flynn.

  1993

  Liege

  Sir Wyn Roberts and 2 officials

  2 nights

  Informal Regional Policy Council representing the United Kingdom.

  1993

  Dublin

  Sir Wyn Roberts and 2 officials

  1 day

  To discuss regional links between Wales and Ireland.

  1993

  Brussels

  Mr. David Hunt and 2 officials

  2 days

  To promote Trade into Wales.

  1994

  Paris

  Mr. Gwilym Jones and 2 officials

  1 day

  Visit to Salon International De L'Alimentation.

  1994

  Dublin

  Mr. Rod Richards and 2 officials

  1 day

  To discuss Holyhead Port.

  1994

  Milan

  Sir Wyn Roberts and 2 officials

  3 days

  To sign a cooperation agreement

  1994

  Paris

  Mr. Gwilym Jones and 1 official

  2 days

  To promote trade into Wales.

  1995

  Luxembourg

  Mr. John Redwood and 2 officials

  1 day

  Transport Council Luxembourg Memberstate Representation.

  1 On each occasion, the Minister was accompanied by an official.

  Information on colsts is not available and could be provided only at dispropotionate cost.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 15 June,Official Report, column 661, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's reply to the letter from the European
  810

  Year

  Destination

  Minister1

  Duration/ Dates

  1993

  USA and Canada

  Sir Wyn Roberts

  12 days 12–24

  1993

  Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Bahrain

  Gwilym Jones MP

  September 6 days 1–6 October

  1994

  Belgium (Brussels)

  Gwilym Jones MP

  2 days 16–17

  1994

  Spain (Barcelona)

  Sir Wyn Roberts

  February 2 days 14–15 March

  1994

  Sweden (Stockholm)

  Sir Wyn Roberts

  2 days 3–4

  1994

  Australia/ New Zealand

  Gwilym Jones MP

  May 8 days 31 May 7 June

  1995

  Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)

  Rod Richards MP

  3 days 8–10 November

  1994

  Argentina

  Rod Richards MP

  4 days 14–17 May

  1 On each occasion, the Minister concerned was accompanied by an official.

  These visits were undertaken to promote trade with Wales. In each case, the relevant Minister headed the Welsh Office trade mission.

  Commission concerning the participation of the Welsh Development Agency in European development programmes.

  Mr. Hague
  A full reply to the points raised in the commossion's letter will be made in due course, and will be placed in the Library of the House. I have, however, already placed a copy of the Department's interim response in the Library of the House.
  811

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days were lost in sickness in the last 12 months by employees in his Department(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the number of days worked; and what was the cost of this absence. [34624]

  Mr. Hague
  The latest available information is for the 1994 calendar year. 21,543 days were lost; 4.06 per cent. of the total days worked. The figures are adjusted for weekends and public holidays. Information is not available on the cost of this absence and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Computer Equipment Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received. [34565]

  Mr. Hague
  The top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to my Department over the last five years were as follows: Ampersand Systems; BISS; Canon; Computercenter; Corporate Software; IBM; ICL; JBA; McDonnell Douglas Information Systems and Siemens Plessey.

  The total value of the contracts over the period was £7,126,615.

  Departmental Redundancies
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many redundancies occurred in his Department over the last 12 months; how many were voluntary; and what was the total sum spent on redundancy payments. [34625]

  Mr. Hague
  Ninety, all of them voluntary. The total cost was £2.568 million.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against his Department during the last 12 months; how many were successful; and what were the total costs including legal fees and compensation. [34623]

  Mr. Hague
  None.

ENVIRONMENT

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against his Department during the last 12 months; how many were successful; and what were the total costs including legal fees and compensation. [34590]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  During the past 12 months four cases of unfair dismissal were heard by the Civil Service Appeal Board. The board found for the Department in every case. No compensation was paid and no legal fees were incurred.
  812
  The Health and Safety Executive became part of the Department on 4 July. No unfair dismissal cases have been brought against it in the past 12 months.

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many days were lost in sickness in the last 12 months by employees in his Department(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the number of days worked; and what was the cost of this absence. [34591]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The following provisional information for the calendar year 1994 covers non-industrial staff in my Department, excluding Health and Safety Executive, Ordnance Survey and PSA services. All calculations have been adjusted for weekends and public holidays.

  (a) 43,210 days were lost in sickness

  (b) 3.04 per cent.

  Source: OHSA Sickness Absence Database

  The cost of this absence could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Departmental Redundancies
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Attorney-General how many redundancies occurred in his Department over the last 12 months; how many were voluntary; and what was the total sum spent on redundancy payments. [34607]

  The Attorney-General
  In the 12 months to the end of June 1995, one redundancy occurred in the Crown Prosecution Service, which was compulsory and involved a payment of £6,997.40

  There have been no redundancies in the Serious Fraud Office, the Treasury Solicitor's Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers or Government Property Lawyers.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Attorney-General how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against his Department during the last 12 months; how many were successful; and what were the total costs including legal fees and compensation. [34605]

  The Attorney-General
  During the 12 months to the end of June 1995, three claims of unfair dismissal have been brought against the Crown Prosecution Service. The Department successfully defended one case on which costs of £2,951.25 were incurred in legal fees. A settlement of £5,500 was agreed in another case on which legal fees have yet to be determined. The remaining case is still pending.

  No unfair dismissal claims have been brought against the Serious Fraud Office, the Treasury Solicitor's Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers or Government Property Lawyer.
  813

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Attorney-General how many days were lost in sickness in the last 12 months by employees in his Department(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the number of days worked; and what was the cost of this absence [34606]

  The Attorney-General
  Information for the 12 months to 30 June 1995 is as follows:

  Department

  Days absence through sickness

  Proportion of days worked Percentage

  Treasury Solicitor's Department

  2,256.5

  2.6

  Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers

  17.0

  0.3

  Crown Prosecution Service

  65,391.0

  4.72

  Serious Fraud Office

  1,597.0

  4.47

  Government Property Lawyers

  858.5

  2.89

  No records are available which give figures for the cost of this absence.

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received. [34556]

  The Attorney-General
  The main suppliers of computer equipment to each of the Departments for which I am responsible are shown in the table. The figures represent total expenditure during the periods shown.

  £ thousand

  1990–95

  Treasury Solicitor's Department1

  ICL plc

  154.0

  Specialist Computer Centres

  152.0

  Computacenter

  140.0

  Dell Computer Corporation Ltd.

  130.0

  Technology plc

  82.0

  Olico Systems plc

  66.0

  P and P Corporate Systems Ltd.

  34.5

  Equanet Ltd.

  32.0

  Atlas Telecommunications Ltd

  32.0

  Lansdowne (UK)

  21.5

  1994–952

  Crown Prosecution Service

  UNISYS Ltd.

  1,308.0

  Bull Information Systems Ltd.

  466.0

  P and P Corporate Systems Ltd.

  193.7

  Vistec Business Systems Ltd.

  177.6

  International Computers Ltd.

  80.4

  McDonnel Douglas Information Systems Ltd.

  52.3

  1993–95

  Serious Fraud Office

  Dell Computer Corporation Ltd.

  301.0

  Cedardata plc

  74.1

  Technomatic Ltd.

  38.8

  European Printing Systems Ltd.

  34.8

  Quantum Business Systems

  33.8

  Network SI Group Ltd.

  33.4

  Olivetti UK Ltd.

  32.4

  Computer Supply Lines Ltd.

  32.3

  814

  £ thousand

  Verity UK

  28.4

  Morse Group plc

  21.9

  1990–95

  Legal Secretaries to the Law Officers

  Programes Unlimited

  37.0

  Equanet Ltd.

  28.5

  Network Stations

  11.9

  East Central (Business Machines) Ltd.

  2.3

  1 Including the Government Property Lawyers an agency established on 1 April 1993.

  2 Information for previous years is available only at disproportionate cost.

SCOTLAND

  Auditors' Remuneration
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much have(a) health authorities and (b) trusts spent on auditors' remuneration in each year since 1992, by region. [34164]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Up to and including the 1994–95 financial year, the cost of auditors' remuneration and expenses for health boards and NHS trusts were met centrally. The majority of audits were undertaken by the Scottish Office audit unit whose running costs are contained within the Scottish Office's central services budget and not assigned to individual health authorities. A number of audits were contracted out to the private sector. A summary of the payments in respect of these external audit services is provided in the tables.

  (a) External audit remuneration health boards

  Health Boards

  1992–93 £

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  Fife

  —

  41,903

  24,664

  Grampian

  —

  39,586

  44,355

  Highland

  194,850

  21,628

  18,497

  Greater Glasgow

  —

  73,948

  60,800

  Lanarkshire

  2119,686

  58,045

  59,750

  1 Paid as a block for the audits of Fife, Grampian and Highland Health Boards.

  2 Paid as a block for the audits of Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire Health Boards.

  (b) External audit remuneration NHS trusts

  Trusts

  1992–93 £

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  Argyll and Clyde

  —

  15,000

  43,536

  Ayrshire and Arran

  19,700

  35,200

  35,974

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  —

  16,000

  Fife

  —

  —

  42,350

  Forth Valley

  —

  —

  12,000

  Grampian

  18,700

  51,180

  53,219

  Greater Glasgow

  —

  38,700

  104,552

  Highland

  —

  24,520

  38,423

  Lanarkshire

  —

  13,600

  40,899

  Lothian

  —

  14,200

  90,512

  Tayside

  —

  16,500

  54,359

  815

  Hypothermia
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths from hypothermia took place among(a) men aged 65 years and over (b) women aged 60 years and over in each year since 1990, by region. [34175]

  Deaths where hypothermia1 was mentioned on the death certificate, by region and islands area. 1990–1994

  Males aged 65 and over

  Females aged 60 and over

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  19942

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  21994

  Scotland

  47

  31

  44

  35

  34

  72

  50

  47

  77

  62

  Borders

  1

  0

  0

  1

  1

  2

  0

  0

  3

  0

  Central

  3

  3

  3

  0

  3

  0

  2

  1

  5

  3

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  1

  1

  Fife

  2

  1

  1

  0

  2

  5

  7

  2

  8

  6

  Grampian

  1

  2

  2

  4

  2

  4

  5

  4

  3

  7

  Highland

  2

  2

  2

  2

  3

  2

  2

  1

  2

  2

  Lothian

  8

  7

  6

  5

  5

  18

  9

  15

  11

  15

  Strathclyde

  28

  11

  22

  17

  16

  32

  22

  15

  32

  25

  Tayside

  1

  3

  3

  4

  2

  7

  2

  7

  11

  3

  Orkney

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  1

  0

  1

  1

  0

  Shetland

  0

  2

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Western Isles

  1

  0

  2

  1

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1 World Health Organisation International Classification of Diseases (Ninth Revision) codes E901 (primary cause), 780.8, 780.9. E901 (secondary cause)

  2 Provisional

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Departmental Redundancies
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many redundancies occurred in his Department over the last 12 months; how many were voluntary; and what was the total sum spent on redundancy payments. [34604]

  Mr. Howard
  The total number of redundancies in the Home Office, including its agencies, for the period July 1994 to June 1995 was 16. Of those, four were voluntary redundancies. The total cost of redundancy payments during the same period was £1,190,553. This includes payments made in respect of redundancies which occurred before July 1994.

  Identity Cards
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Her Majesty's Government agreed to admit EC nationals to the United Kingdom by means of identity cards; what was the legislative basis for such a decision; and if he will make a statement. [34425]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  On the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Economic Community in 1972, the United Kingdom Government were required to comply with existing Community law allowing nationals of the Community to enter the territory of other member states simply on production of a valid national identity card or passport. Previous arrangements for admission on production of identity cards were governed by agreements with the countries concerned.

  Since 1 January 1994 the same right has been extended to non-European Union nationals of the European economic area—currently, Norway, Ireland, and Liechtenstein—in accordance with the provisions of the European Economic Area agreement which was ratified
  816
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 13 July 1995]: The information requested is given in the table:

  by the United Kingdom in November 1993 following enactment of the European Economic Area Act 1993.

  The right of European economic area nationals to enter the United Kingdom on this basis was implemented administratively prior to formal incorporation in United Kingdom law by the Immigration (European Economic Area) Order 1994.

  Visas
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Her Majesty's Government advised the Economic Union that it would agree to the mutual recognition of visas issued by European Union states; what was the legislative basis for such a commitment; and if he will make a statement. [34426]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  A form of mutual recognition of short-stay visas issued by other member states is provided in the draft external frontiers convention, which was agreed in substance in June 1991 but has remained unsigned owing to objections by Spain to its application in Gibraltar. The draft convention was drawn up under the ad-hoc arrangements for co-operation on immigration matters which preceded the treaty on European Union, TEU.

  Following the entry into force of the treaty, a revised text of the draft convention was published by the Commission in December 1993, the legal basis for which is article K3.2(c) TEU. Discussions on this text are continuing. My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has undertaken that the final text of the convention will be brought back before Parliament before it is signed and that the Government will not ratify the convention before the necessary legislation has been enacted by Parliament in accordance with the normal procedures.
  817

  Frontier Controls
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek the opinion of the European Court of Justice on the legislative standing of the declaration attached to the Single European Act on British border controls; and if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to seek to have the declaration transformed into a treaty clause at the 1996 inter-governmental conference. [34424]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  No, but as we have consistently made clear, we will take whatever steps are necessary to maintain our frontier controls.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against his Department during the last 12 months; how many were successful; and what were the total costs including legal fees and compensation. [34602]

  Mr. Howard
  In the non-prisons Home Office there were 12 appeals to the Civil Service Appeal Board and industrial tribunals. Of these, three were successful and five decisions are pending. In the Prison Service, there were 25 appeals to the Civil Service Appeal Board, of which four were successful. The total cost of legal fees and compensation in completed cases was £40,909.

  Information about industrial tribunal cases involving the Prison Service is not readily available. The Director General of the Prison Service will provide these details shortly.

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received. [34555]

  Mr. Howard
  My Department has awarded contracts for computer equipment to the value of £95,438,000 in the last five years. The following table shows the top 10 suppliers:

  £ thousand

  TRW Inc.

  25,000

  ICL

  18,834

  Bull

  13,330

  Dell

  13,063

  Siemens Nixdorf

  10,738

  Apricot

  3,308

  Dec

  2,735

  Data Sciences

  2,580

  Misys Integrated

  2,528

  Computacenter

  2,044

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days were lost in sickness in the last 12 months by employees in his Department(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the number of days worked; and what was the cost of this absence. [34603]
  818
  Mr. Howard
  Data for the number of days lost through sickness over the last 12 months is not readily available. The total number of working days lost through sickness in 1994 in the Home Office, including its agencies, was 499,242. This was approximately 4.5 per cent. of the total number of days worked. information on the cost of this absence is not available.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants are currently employed in dealing with matters related to the Scott inquiry; and what has been the total cost to date. [34641]

  Mr. Howard
  Work on matters related to the Scott inquiry is undertaken by staff in my Department as part of their normal duties. It is not, therefore, possible to estimate the overall cost.

  Prison Operating Costs
  Mr. Trend
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operating costs of(a) privately managed prisons and (b) prisons directly managed by the Prison Service. [35207]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Comparison of the costs per prisoner place at privately managed prisons with similar publicly managed ones indicates that costs of the privately managed prisons were 15 to 25 per cent. lower in 1993–94 than their nearest public sector counterparts. This indicates annual savings to the taxpayer of £5 million to £10 million a year for the four privately managed prisons currently operating. Further analyses will be conducted on the basis of more extended private sector experience.

  Prisoners (Police Cells)
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Prison Service prisoners are currently held in police cells. [35180]

  Miss Widdecombe
  I am pleased to announce that since 16 June there have been no Prison Service prisoners in police cells.

  The necessary use of police cells in the north of England, mainly in the Manchester area, was brought about by population pressures in that area and the lack of appropriate accommodation, The opening of Buckley Hall and the refurbishment of accommodation at Manchester have helped us to cease the use of police cells. Their use in the future cannot be ruled out but every effort will be made to avoid this.

  Trial Arrangements
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to mode of trial arrangements in respect of offences triable either way. [35181]

  Mr. Howard
  I have today published a consultation document, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The closing date for comments is 2 October 1995.
  819

  Remand Prisoners (Teenagers)
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average and the minimum and maximum length of time which teenagers were held in prison awaiting trial in each of the last five years(a) in London and (b) nationally. [33806]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 14 July 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what was the average and the minimum and maximum length of time for which teenagers were held in prisons awaiting trial in each of the last five years (a) in London and (b) nationally.
  Information is not available in the form requested, but information is available on the period spent on remand in a Prison Service establishment in England and Wales. Table 1 shows the number of 15–19 year olds on remand in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales by length of time since first reception on 31 December 1994. Table 2 shows the average completed time spent in custody. The historical information and separate information for London could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Corresponding information for all remand prisoners is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (Tables 2.3 and 2.4 of the 1993 edition, Cm2893) a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
  820

  Table 1: Remand prisoners aged 15–19 years in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales by length of time since first reception1 on 31 December 19942

  Time since first remand

  331 December 1994

  Less than 3 months

  1,300

  Over 3 months up to 12 months

  680

  Over 12 months

  48

  1 Awaiting trial or sentence. Time since first reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment. This includes any intervening time spent on bail, but excludes time spent in police cells beforehand.

  2 Provisional figures.

  3 Rounded estimates.

  4 One of which was held in an establishment in London on 31 December 1994.

  Table 2: Estimated average time spent in custody for Untired and Convicted Unsentenced prisoners, aged 15–19, in Prison Service establishments in 19941

  Type of custody

  align="right">Receptions in 1994

  4Estimated average number of days in custody

  Untried2

  13,056

  44

  Convicted

  Unsentenced3

  8,052

  33

  1 Provisional figures.

  2 Time spent in custody before conviction.

  3 Time spent in custody after conviction before sentence.

  4 Estimated from number of receptions and population in 1994 (as measured by population on 30 June).

  821

HEALTH

  Title of "Doctor"
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to provide statutory protection for the title "doctor" as used in the fields of medicine and the professions allied to medicine in order to distinguish between those medical practitioners who are legally entitled to use the term, and those for whom it is an honorific. [33476]

  Mr. Malone
  No. I am satisfied that the matter is adequately covered under section 49 of the Medical Act 1983.

  Single Sex Wards
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the number of patients who have asked to be treated in single sex wards in accordance with the January 1995 revised patients charter; and what effect that has had on their waiting time for treatment. [33345]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  Waiting Times
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish at six monthly intervals total waiting times from general practitioner referral to hospital admission, including and identifying the waiting time from GP referral to first out-patient appointment; and if he will make a statement. [33631]

  Mr. Malone
  No. We already publish information on waiting times for in-patient treatment on a summary basis each quarter and for individual trusts every six months. Information on waiting times between general practitioner written referral and first out-patient appointment is published in summary form each quarter and will be published for individual trusts for the fist time shortly and at regular intervals thereafter.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that any patient on a waiting list for any elective surgery who is forced by circumstance to change general practitioners or move to a new district health authority should not have to rejoin the waiting list as a new referral; and if he will make a statement. [33671]

  Mr. Malone
  Patients who move house or general practitioner while waiting for hospital admission may choose to stay on their original waiting list. If they choose to be treated at a different hospital the new consultant would need to assess them on an out-patient basis before deciding whether to admit, and if so, placing them on a waiting list. We would expect GPs and health authorities to try to arrange the shortest possible waiting time for such patients taking account both of clinical need and the time they have already waited.

  General Medical Services, Manchester
  Mr. Trend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he intends to take in response to the decision of the High Court of the result of the case brought by Manchester local medical committee. [35320]
  822
  Mr. Malone
  A recent decision by the High Court ruled that departmental guidance in relation to cash-limited general medical services allocations to health authorities constituted a binding direction. Such sums could therefore be set only on the reimbursement of certain general practitioner expenses. Manchester family health services authority had misapplied some cash limited GMS allocations by using them to support wider primary care developments. The Department is satisfied that Manchester FHSA acted in good faith in an attempt to improve services to patients and the court found no evidence to dispute this. Her Majesty's Treasury has given approval for any such payments to be made on an extra statutory basis and to be noted as such in FHSA accounts. Guidance will soon be issued to all FHSAs following the court's ruling and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Edgware General Hospital
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will re-examine the decision by his predecessor announced on 5 April to confirm and accept the regional health authority's endorsement of Barnet district health authority's recommendation to close the accident and emergency department of Edgware general hospital by April 1997; [34086]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the local public petition against the closure of the Edgware general hospital accident and emergency department, delivered to his Department and No. 10 Downing street on Wednesday 5 July. [34085]

  Mr. Malone
  No. Consultation was thorough and the changes will improve services for patients.

  Patients Charter
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that the service volumes and quality standards defined by contracts with health care providers and the standards and rights defined by the patients charter are binding on the providers and commissioners of health services; and if he will make a statement. [33675]

  Mr. Malone
  Health authorities and fundholding general practitioners are required to deliver patients charter standards and guarantees through their contracts with providers. National health service contracts should provide for arbitration in cases of non-compliance and this applies equally to service levels and quality standards agreed locally. The NHS and Community Care Act 1990 provides a formal mechanism for disputed cases to be referred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

  Operations
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) hip replacements, (b) pacemaker operations and (c) cataract operations were carried out in Great Britain and Northern Ireland respectively in the last year; and what was the average waiting time for each operation in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland. [33823]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information for 1993–94 is shown in the table:
  823

  Finished Consultant Episodes

  Great Britain

  Northern Ireland

  Number of operations

  Average waiting time (days)1

  Number of operations

  Average waiting time (days)1

  (a) Hip replacement and other arthroplasty of the hip2

  67,571

  192

  1,660

  184

  (b) Pacemaker sytem operations2

  18,939

  27

  418

  —3

  (c) Cataract and other eye lens operations2

  152,355

  193

  3,766

  292

  Notes:

  1 Waiting list and booked admission cases, excluding emergency admissions.

  2 Operation procedure codes (a) W37-W39 and W46-W48, (b) K60 and K61, (c) C71, C72, C74 and C75.

  335 per cent. of these cases were either emergencies or did not have a recorded decision to admit date. Any calculation of average waiting time for this operation would therefore be unreliable.

  Sources:

  Estimates from, for England, Hospital Episode Statistics; for Scotland, SMR1; for Wales, Welsh Office Health Statistics; and for Northern Ireland, Hospital Inpatient System.

  Disabled People (Direct Payments)
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress he has made towards implementing his pledge to introduce direct payments to disabled people to arrange, in appropriate circumstances, their own care. [34303]

  Mr. Bowis
  We announced in November 1994 our intention to introduce the necessary legislation to allow direct payments as soon as practicable. This remains our intention. There are a number of complex issues to be resolved before legislation can be introduced and my Department has set up a technical advisory group to consider these.

  Numbers of deaths from testicular cancer (ICD1 186)

  Regional health authorities

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Northern

  10

  6

  9

  12

  9

  6

  10

  5

  10

  8

  Yorkshire

  14

  8

  10

  10

  11

  18

  6

  9

  10

  10

  Trent

  13

  11

  13

  18

  18

  9

  9

  14

  13

  11

  East Anglian

  4

  1

  5

  6

  3

  8

  4

  5

  7

  2

  North West Thames

  6

  14

  7

  1

  8

  2

  5

  4

  7

  6

  North East Thames

  6

  6

  7

  7

  8

  6

  8

  9

  5

  4

  South East Thames

  17

  7

  10

  16

  8

  9

  11

  2

  7

  5

  South West Thames

  12

  10

  6

  10

  11

  5

  4

  7

  4

  4

  Wessex

  7

  6

  5

  8

  6

  4

  10

  6

  7

  4

  Oxford

  5

  4

  4

  3

  12

  8

  7

  9

  9

  3

  South Western

  15

  9

  9

  9

  6

  6

  10

  7

  13

  8

  West Midlands

  20

  9

  7

  15

  16

  15

  15

  11

  9

  11

  Mersey

  6

  8

  13

  7

  9

  3

  10

  4

  6

  8

  North Western

  14

  8

  11

  9

  9

  9

  8

  12

  10

  10

  Wales

  7

  3

  9

  14

  4

  3

  10

  6

  6

  8

  1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against his Department during the last 12 months; how many were successful; and what were the total costs including legal fees and compensation. [34599]

  Mr. Bowis
  In the period 1 July 1994 to 30 June 1995, six cases of unfair dismissal were lodged with the industrial tribunal against the Department of Health. Of these, one case was successful, resulting in compensation of £9,032.88. Of the remaining five cases, one was successfully defended, one application was ruled out of time and three cases are still to be heard by the tribunal.
  824

  Car Park Charges
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the hospital trusts which levy a charge for car parking at trust units; and if he will list them. [34573]

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  Testicular Cancer
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many men died from testicular cancer in each year for the last 10 years, by region. [34633]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information is in the table.

  Details of legal fees incurred for unfair dismissal cases are not recorded separately.

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many days were lost in sickness in the last 12 months by employees in his Department(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the number of days worked; and what was the cost of this absence. [34600]

  Mr. Bowis
  The estimated number of days lost through sickness in the Department of Health and its agencies during the 1994–95 financial year was 69,363. This represents 6.23 per cent. of the total working days in that financial year.
  825
  The figures have not been adjusted to exclude bank holidays, nor has any allowance been made to account for the working patterns of part-time staff. The sickness absence data is not analysed by cost.

  Tendering
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 10 July at column 440, on tendering, (1) if he will estimate the total value of contracts under (a) market testing and (b) compulsory competitive tendering; [34382]

  (2) how many contracts have been notified under (a) market testing and (b) compulsory competitive tendering; and what has been their value. [34380]

  Mr. Bowis
  The total value of the 3,927 NHS service contracts currently logged on the NHS executive market testing database is £964 million. Of these 1,404 contracts were for catering, laundry and domestic services, with a contract value of £694 million.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 10 July at column 440, on tendering if he will place in the Library a copy of all contracts notified to the NHS executive. [34381]

  Mr. Bowis
  No. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost, some is commercially sensitive and some could be released only with the permission of the parties concerned.

  Chronic Disease Management Programmes
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness for asthma sufferers of the chronic disease management programme; and if he will make a statement. [34379]

  Mr. Bowis
  Over 90 per cent. of general practitioners are running organised programmes of high-quality care for patients with asthma.

  Departmental Redundancies
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many redundancies occurred in his Department over the last 12 months; how many were voluntary; and what was the total sum spent on redundancy payments. [34601]

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State gave the hon. Member for Barking (Ms Hodge) on 25 May at column 759.
  826

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received. [34554]

  Mr. Bowis
  For the period from April 1991, the earliest date for which figures are available, to April 1995, the main suppliers of computer equipment to the Department and its agencies were:

  £

  Siemens Nixdorf

  13,771,522

  P and P Corporate Systems Ltd.

  13,589,832

  Bull Information Systems

  304,193

  These amounts include not only computer equipment but computer software and some implementation costs. It is not possible to separate out these amounts except at disproportionate cost. There were a number of smaller contracts with other companies, none of which exceeded £100,000 in the period.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Departmental Officials
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many officials worked within(a) her Department and (b) the Department of Employment on 5 July; and how many she estimates will be working within the new Department once the merger has been completed.

  Mr. Forth
  At 5 July 1995 the Department for Education employed 2,170 civil servants, of whom 432 were based in the Teachers Pensions Agency. The Employment Department group employed some 54,450 staff. The merger entails some 6,200 staff joining other Government Departments, while some 48,250 join the new Department for Education and Employment, giving the new Department a total staff figure of some 50,420.

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to her Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating to total value of the contracts received. [34551]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what additional funding will be provided for the training of special educational needs co-ordinators to ensure they fulfil their widely extended role in identifying and assessing special educational needs. [34506]

  Mr. Forth
  The grants for education, support and training programme in 1995–96 includes support for £10.5 million to help schools develop their policies on
  827
  special educational needs, SEN. Eligible expenditure under this programme includes the cost of providing training or professional advice to SEN co-ordinators in schools.

  Education Standard Spending Assessment
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list, by order of the sum involved, the figure per child represented by the 1995–96 education standard spending assessment(a) primary and (b) secondary school children in each local education authority in England and Wales. [34484]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The allocations per pupil for the 1995–96 education standard spending for each English local education authority are set out in the table. Figures for Welsh authorities are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Unit Allocations for 1995–96 SSAs Sorted in descending order of primary unit allowances

  LEA

  Primary (£) per 5–10 pupil

  Secondary (£) per 11–15 pupil

  Isles of Scilly

  3,347

  4,381

  Hackney

  3,076

  4,359

  Lambeth

  3,066

  4,463

  Tower Hamlets

  3,035

  4,034

  South wark

  2,947

  4,090

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  2,904

  3,777

  City of London

  2,901

  9,055

  Camden

  2,900

  3,648

  Islington

  2,888

  3,963

  Kensington and Chelsea

  2,852

  4,071

  Lewisham

  2,777

  3,778

  Westminster

  2,750

  3,637

  Greenwich

  2,711

  3,589

  Wandsworth

  2,683

  3,617

  Haringey

  2,589

  3,583

  Newham

  2,581

  3,439

  Brent

  2,500

  3,448

  Waltham Forest

  2,434

  3,261

  Ealing

  2,350

  3,224

  Hounslow

  2,260

  2,959

  Manchester

  2,258

  3,072

  Croydon

  2,243

  3,050

  Enfield

  2,234

  2,941

  Barking and Dagenham

  2,231

  2,951

  Barnet

  2,197

  2,883

  Knowsley

  2,186

  2,986

  Merton

  2,184

  2,904

  Redbridge

  2,164

  2,884

  Harrow

  2,147

  2,898

  Hillingdon

  2,133

  2,838

  Liverpool

  2,110

  2,821

  Sutton

  2,093

  2,722

  Birmingham

  2,083

  2,794

  Kingston upon Thames

  2,064

  2,720

  Bexley

  2,064

  2,734

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  2,045

  2,717

  Havering

  2,023

  2,686

  Isle of Wight Council

  2,016

  2,696

  Richmond upon Thames

  2,015

  2,635

  Bromley

  2,013

  2,678

  Hertfordshire

  2,010

  2,663

  East Sussex

  2,000

  2,672

  Surrey

  1,998

  2,679

  Bedfordshire

  1,995

  2,664

  Wolverhampton

  1,995

  2,691

  Essex

  1,989

  2,647

  Berkshire

  1,988

  2,664

  828

  Unit Allocations for 1995–96 SSAs Sorted in descending order of primary unit allowances

  LEA

  Primary (£) per 5–10 pupil

  Secondary (£) per 11–15 pupil

  Bradford

  1,986

  2,679

  Sandwell

  1,986

  2,642

  Coventry

  1,984

  2,648

  Salford

  1,975

  2,652

  Kent

  1,968

  2,620

  Buckinghamshire

  1,966

  2,630

  Wirral

  1,948

  2,606

  Cleveland

  1,940

  2,589

  Gateshead

  1,937

  2,601

  Doncaster

  1,934

  2,572

  Oxfordshire

  1,933

  2,575

  Rochdale

  1,932

  2,608

  West Sussex

  1,932

  2,571

  South Tyneside

  1,932

  2,562

  Hampshire

  1,930

  2,575

  Sheffield

  1,922

  2,565

  Oldham

  1,919

  2,530

  Sunderland

  1,919

  2,549

  Kirklees

  1,900

  2,539

  Calderdale

  1,896

  2,527

  Walsall

  1,894

  2,501

  Cornwall

  1,893

  2,522

  Humberside

  1,891

  2,509

  Durham

  1,884

  2,512

  Nottinghamshire

  1,883

  2,506

  Norfolk

  1,881

  2,508

  Devon

  1,879

  2,506

  Lancashire

  1,877

  2,502

  Cambridgeshire

  1,876

  2,508

  Sefton

  1,875

  2,492

  Lincolnshire

  1,873

  2,483

  Rotherham

  1,871

  2,462

  Barnsley

  1,869

  2,489

  Bolton

  1,866

  2,488

  Leicestershire

  1,864

  2,483

  Leeds

  1,864

  2,480

  Shropshire

  1,862

  2,479

  Cumbria

  1,856

  2,470

  Somerset

  1,846

  2,489

  North Tyneside

  1,845

  2,483

  St. Helens

  1,845

  2,467

  Avon

  1,838

  2,460

  Gloucestershire

  1,836

  2,435

  Northamptonshire

  1,836

  2,448

  Wiltshire

  1,835

  2,451

  Dorset

  1,833

  2,440

  Tameside

  1,831

  2,428

  Trafford

  1,830

  2,420

  North Yorkshire

  1,827

  2,422

  Hereford and Worcester

  1,827

  2,439

  Wakefield

  1,825

  2,421

  Northumberland

  1,825

  2,421

  Warwickshire

  1,822

  2,433

  Suffolk

  1,820

  2,422

  Cheshire

  1,817

  2,408

  Bury

  1,813

  2,405

  Dudley

  1,813

  2,408

  Derbyshire

  1,812

  2,415

  Wigan

  1,809

  2,391

  Staffordshire

  1,805

  2,398

  Solihull

  1,798

  2,376

  Stockport

  1,775

  2,374

  England average

  1,981

  2,630

  Inner London average

  2,890

  3,894

  Outer London average

  2,242

  2,973

  Metropolitan average

  1,945

  2,589

  Shire average

  1,895

  2,525

  829

  Office for Standards in Education
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was for each school term since September 1994(a) the number of primary schools informed by Ofsted they were to be inspected and (b) the number where inspections were actually carried out.

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

  Education (School Premises) Regulations
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will announce the conclusions of the review of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981. [35179]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Employment and for Wales have concluded that the regulatory burden placed on school by the Education (School Premises) Regulations should be significantly reduced.

  We therefore propose to consult on a revised set of school premises regulations which will dispense with the statutory area standards for teaching accommodation and recreation area. The change will give local education authorities and school governors more flexibility to manage school land and buildings in the interests of pupils and in the light of the facilities available.

  To take account of public concern that playing fields should be preserved, however, we propose to retain minimum area standards for school playing fields. We have taken the view that these restrictions should be maintained because there may be a temptation to dispose of playing fields that schools need. That temptation does not arise in the same way in the case of teaching accommodation or recreation area.

  We also intend to retain the central core of requirements in the existing regulations which are aimed at safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of pupils. In particular, we propose to retain the general health and safety requirements of the 1981 regulations and the specific requirements relating to washrooms, medical accommodation, boarding accommodation, fire safety, acoustics, lighting, heating, ventilation, water quality and drainage.

  The Department will be consulting soon on a revised set of draft regulations with those in schools and local authorities who will be responsible for implementing them. Subject to the outcome of that consultation and to the approval of Parliament, we intend that a revised set of regulations reflecting the changes I have set out will enter into force from the beginning of January 1996.
  830
  To assist local education authorities and schools in interpreting and applying the regulations, my Department will continue to provide advice and guidance on the design and use of school premises.

  Black Economy
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to reduce the size of the black economy. [32094]

  Mr. Forth
  I have been asked to reply.

  Employment in the black economy is minimised by reducing regulatory and administrative burdens on employers; keeping down tax and other non-wage labour costs; and by effective action against fraud. The regulatory burden on employers in the UK is lower than in the other EU countries, and non-wage cost as a proportion of total hourly labour costs are among the lowest in the OECD. The Employment Service aims to protect taxpayers' money from abuse by conducting fraud drives in areas of the economy where experience has shown fraud to be prevalent.

  Advertising
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much has been spent on outside advertising agencies for each year since 1979; and if he will list the specific advertising campaigns undertaken by his Department, their purpose and their cost. [32477]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Employment Department does not spend money directly with advertising agencies, but channels its expenditure through the central office of information, which manages advertising on behalf of central Government.

  Total advertising expenditure by the Department since 1979 is:

  £

  1979–80

  1 2 3175,296

  1980–81

  1 36,867,309

  1981–82

  1 3 4,395,776

  1982–83

  1 6,186,195

  1983–84

  1 4,754,522

  1984–85

  1 3,254,828

  1985–86

  1 20,621,583

  1986–87

  1 53,241,911

  1987–88

  1 40,706.040

  1988–89

  1 30,229,606

  1989–90

  1 21,797,896

  1990–91

  1 12,293,720

  1991–92

  14,039,415

  1992–93

  1 5,584,560

  1993–94

  1 8,441,609

  1994–95

  To be advised

  Notes:

  1 At constant 1994 prices.

  1 The 1979–80 total does not include expenditure by the former Manpower Services Commission as the figure is not available.

  1 The 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84 and 1984–85 totals do not include expenditure by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as figures are not available.

  831
  From 1979–90 a list of subject matter and specific costs is available only at disproportionate cost.

  Major campaigns each year from 1990–95 are shown in the following table:

  £

  1990–91

  TEC National Launch

  4,214,000

  National Training Awards

  942,386

  Career Development Loans

  491,214

  JobClub

  980,455

  Disability Symbol

  447,222

  1991–92

  TEC National Launch

  4,272,340

  National Training Awards

  868,307

  Just the Job Launch

  1,698,048

  Investors in People

  447,752

  Disability Symbol

  608,248

  1992–93

  National Training Awards

  462,437

  Career Development Loans

  569,881

  Disability Symbol

  814,060

  Just the Job

  359,666

  Employers/Job Centres

  741,066

  1993–94

  National Training Awards

  434,032

  Career Development Loans

  1,242,152

  Make it Your Business/IIP

  1,712,579

  Just the Job

  1,381,333

  Disability Symbol

  11,053,404

  Employers/Job Centres

  978,723

  1994–95

  NVQ/Free Your Potential

  2,717,685

  Career Development Loans

  1,264,951

  Disability Symbol

  936,000

  Just the Job

  850,502

  National Training Awards

  303,355

  The above campaigns have all been undertaken with a view to increasing awareness and encouraging participation in the Department's initiatives.

  Social Chapter
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what calculations she has made on the impact for public expenditure of the United Kingdom signing the European Union social chapter; and if he will make a statement. [32871]

  Mr. Forth
  I have been asked to reply.

  It is not possible to put an exact figure on the costs of the draft social chapter proposed at Maastricht because it is a mechanism for legislating rather than a body of legislation. However, there can be no doubt that accepting the social chapter would lead to legislation being imposed on the UK which would adversely affect public finances. Most important, the costs of public sector employers would be increased and the flexibility and competitiveness of British business reduced so that jobs would be lost and tax revenue reduced.
  832

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action she proposes to create greaterstability amongst training providers contracted to TECs. [31786]

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I am sure that the combination of responsibilities within my new Department will offer many opportunities to strengthen our policies for training. Training and enterprise councils will continue to have a central role to play and I look forward to a very positive relationship with them. But let us be clear that TECs are independent companies and the contractual arrangements they make with their providers are a matter for them.

  Career Development Loans
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total public expenditure on career development loans in each year for which figures are available in(a) actual and (b) current prices. [33148]

  Mr. Paice
  [holding answer 10 July 1995]: I have been asked to reply.

  The programme costs for career development loans for each year since 1988 together with the equivalent cost at 1995–96 prices are shown in the table:

  £ million

  Year

  Actual cost

  Cost at 1995–96 prices

  1988–89

  0.650

  0.901

  1989–90

  1.404

  1.819

  1990–91

  3.750

  4.498

  1991–92

  5.389

  6.082

  1992–93

  6.884

  7.472

  1993–94

  7.975

  8.399

  1994–95

  9.392

  9.697

  Mr. Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications for career development loans there were in each year for which figures are available; and what percentage of these applications were successful. [33150]

  Mr. Paice
  [holding answer 10 July 1995]: I have been asked to reply.

  The number of approved career development loans for each year since 1988 together with the number of rejections, as provided to the Employment Department by the participating banks, and the consequent percentage of successful applications is shown in the table:

  Year

  Loans approved

  Loans rejected

  Percentage of successful applications

  1988–89

  2,762

  735

  79

  1989–90

  5,805

  1,733

  77

  1990–91

  8,054

  1,767

  82

  1991–92

  10,432

  4,260

  71

  1992–93

  10,230

  3,978

  72

  1993–94

  12,159

  4,966

  71

  1994–95

  15,169

  4,790

  76

  833
  Mr. Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of those taking out career development loans were(a) unemployed, (b) employed and (c) continuing students in each year for which figures are available. [33149]

  Mr. Paice
  [holding answer 10 July 1995]: I have been asked to reply.

  The following table lists, in percentage terms, the employment status of approved career development loan applicants for each year since 1991:

  Percentage

  Year

  Unemployed

  Employed

  Student

  Other

  1991–921

  31

  51

  17

  1

  1992–93

  35

  45

  18

  2

  1993–94

  36

  42

  19

  3

  1994–95

  33

  44

  20

  3

  1 Figures for earlier years were not collected in a comparable format.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Sexism
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Government intend to give effect to recommendation No. R(09)4 adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 21 February 1990, on the elimination of sexism from language, by bringing the terminology used in legal drafting and public administration into line with the principle of sex equality. [33034]

  Mr. Freeman
  The Government are fully committed to the principle of sex equality. As regards parliamentary drafting, the Government have no plans to alter present practice, which is to use language that is best suited to conveying meaning clearly and simply. Within Government communications, non-gender specific language is already widely used by Departments, who follow the principles of the "Plain English" campaign to communicate with clients and staff.

  World Wide Web Server
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the work his Department has carried out in the last 12 months in making information about his Department available to the public via the Government world wide web server known as "www.open.gov.uk" and his plans and policies to make additional and new information available electronically on the server in the next 12 months. [34674]

  Mr. Freeman
  My Department has been responsible for the development of the CCTA Government information service on the world wide web. Since its launch in November 1994, over 80 public sector organisations have made information available, including 15 major Departments of State and 50 agencies, business units and non-departmental public bodies.

  The Office of Public Service has made available a wide range of information, including all the citizen's charters; the code of practice on access to Government information; a directory of Ministers and Whips; details of publications, services and events from CCTA—the Government Centre for Information Systems; information
  834
  on HMSO'S publications, business systems and electrical trading services; and courses and services available from the Civil Service college.

  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service is today setting out the progress made to date and our vision for further developments in a speech at the CCTA's information superhighways conference. Further information on our achievements and plans can be found in the CCTA's report on information superhighways, which was placed in the Library of the House last month.

  Civil Service Pension Scheme
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants contribute to the civil service pension scheme; how many people are currently in receipt of pensions; and how many people, having ceased to be employed in the civil service, will receive delayed civil service pensions. [33299]

  Mr. Horam
  As at 1 April 1995, some 514,000 civil servants were members of the principal civil service pension scheme. In addition, there are some 12,000 staff of other bodies who are covered by the scheme.

  The number of PCSPS pensions in payment, at the end of June 1995, was 528,251. This figure includes widows and dependants in receipt of pensions. There are some 225,000 awards preserved for payment at pension age.

  "List of Ministerial Responsibilities"
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to publish a revised edition of "List of Ministerial Responsibilities", taking into account the recent changes in responsibilities announced in the recent Government reshuffle. [34574]

  Mr. Freeman
  A revised edition of the "List of Ministerial Responsibilities including Agencies" is currently being prepared and I shall publish it shortly. Copies of the new edition will be made available to Members free of charge from the Vote Office.

TREASURY

  Public Sector Debt
  Sir Peter Lloyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost in 1994–95 of servicing(a) the total public sector debt and (b) that part of the debt accumulated in that year. [34298]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Excluding flows within the public sector, gross public sector debt interest payments in 1994–95 amounted to £22.5 billion. Central Government debt interest payments were £21.9 billion, of which it is estimated some £700 million represented gross interest on gilts issued during 1994–95. It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of debt service costs arising from other forms of debt issued in the year.

  Corporation Tax (Shipping Companies)
  Sir David Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the rates of corporation tax applicable to shipping companies in each country of the
  835
  European Union; and if he will make it his policy to bring United Kingdom rates into line with those elsewhere in the European Union. [33344]

  Mr. Jack
  The UK continues to provide one of the lowest rates of corporation tax in the European Union. Current confined main national rates of corporation tax applicable to shipping companies in each European Union country are:

  Table: Main national rates of corporation tax applicable to shipping companies in the European Union

  Country

  Rate (percentage)

  Notes

  Austria

  34

  —

  Belgium

  39

  Plus 3 per cent, surcharge, making an effective rate of 40.17 per cent.

  Denmark

  34

  —

  Finland

  25

  —

  France

  33.33

  —

  Germany

  45

  On undistributed profits (30 per cent, on distributed) plus 7.5 per cent, surcharge and local trade taxes (average 20 per cent., giving an average total effective rate of 58 per cent, on undistributed profits (46.25 per cent, on distributed).

  Greece

  Nil

  Profits from shipping are not subject to corporation tax. Instead a special tax, based on gross tonnage and age, is charged on usage of a vessel.

  Ireland

  38

  —

  Italy

  37

  Plus 16.2 per cent, local tax, making an effective rate of 53.2 per cent.

  Luxembourg

  33

  Plus 4 per cent, surcharge and local trade taxes (in range 8 per cent-12 per cent.), making an effective rate of 40.9 per cent.

  Netherlands

  35

  —

  Portugal

  36

  —

  Spain

  35

  Plus 1 per cent, surcharge, making an effective rate of 35.35 per cent. A special regime exists in the Canary Islands which broadly grants shipping companies a 35 per cent, reduction in corporation tax, giving an effective rate of 22.75 per cent.

  Sweden

  28

  —

  United Kingdom

  33

  —

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide the latest estimates of the outturn of public expenditure by department on the same basis as table 6A.3 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" 1995–96. [34494]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The latest available figures for provisional outturn for 1994–95 are published in table 1 of the public expenditure outturn White Paper for 1994– 95, Cm 2903. The latest figures for earlier years are published in the statistical supplement to the FSBR 1995–96, Cm 2821. Following usual practice, figures for estimated outturn for 1995–96 will be published for the 836
  first time in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" 1996–97 in November.

  Central Statistical Office
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Central Statistical Office performed against its key targets in 1994–95. [35206]

  Mrs. Knight
  The Central Statistical Office's performance for 1994–95 is described in the agency's annual report and accounts for 1994–95 which is being laid before the House and published today.

  The CSO achieved 27 out of the 33 published targets, including 18 out of 19 targets relating to the quality of key economic statistics.

  A number of targets for 1995–96 have been tightened and these are set out in the CSO programme strategies 1995–96 to 1997–98 which was published in April.

  Public Bodies (External Audits)
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the timetable for the review of the arrangements for the external audit of public bodies recommended by the Nolan committee; who will be conducting the review; and who will be consulted during the review. [33545]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: We aim to reach provisional conclusions by the end of 1995 and then issue a consultation paper. The review is being conducted jointly by the Treasury and the Cabinet Office and covers separate recommendations which the Nolan committee addressed to those departments on external audit and on the legal framework governing propriety and accountability. The review will take account of evidence submitted to the Nolan committee but the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service, has invited all who wish to provide further comments to do so by 30 September. They should be sent to Room 130G/4, Office of Public Service, Horse Guards Road, London, SWIP 3AL.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Upper Waiting Hall
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the British Association of Social Work, "Then, Now and Onwards" 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 27 November to Friday 1 December 1995.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to plastics and recycling to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
  837
  Mr. 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 18 December to Friday 22 December 1995.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Deputy Prime Minister
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what will be the involvement of the Deputy Prime Minister in the work of his Department. [34121]

  Company

  Number of contracts

  Company

  Value of contracts £

  1990

  Price Project Service

  8

  RSCG Conran Design

  898,000

  PA Consulting

  7

  PA Consulting

  759,572

  PE International

  7

  Strategic Sponsorship Ltd

  690,000

  Les Probert Associates

  7

  Manchester University

  599,739

  Coopers and Lybrand

  6

  Ernst and Young

  369,031

  1991

  PA Consulting

  15

  CMG Computer Management Group

  1,139,750

  Coopers and Lybrand

  12

  Price Waterhouse

  1,227,335

  PE International

  10

  P-Four Consultancy Ltd.

  992,309

  Touche Ross

  8

  Environmental Resources

  839,226

  Ernst and Young

  8

  Kermon Ltd.

  737,772

  1992

  PA Consulting

  19

  Touche Ross

  2,760,230

  KPMG

  14

  PA Consulting

  836,756

  Ernst and Young

  10

  Boyds

  789,733

  Coopers and Lybrand

  9

  KPMG

  741,283

  PE International

  8

  CSC Computer Sciences Ltd

  688,070

  1993

  PA Consulting

  21

  Crown Business Communications

  2,078,349

  KPMG

  17

  PA Consulting

  1,192,450

  Ernst and Young

  14

  Price Waterhouse

  990,083

  Coopers and Lybrand

  7

  Scientific Generics

  851,300

  Price Waterhouse

  6

  KPMG

  718,370

  1994

  Coopers and Lybrand

  10

  Coopers and Lybrand

  720,674

  PA Consulting

  10

  PA Consulting

  480,916

  Ernst and Young

  5

  BZW Corporate Finance

  380,000

  Segal Quince Wicksteed

  5

  KPMG

  378,000

  Touche Ross

  3

  Dewe Rogerson Ltd.

  360,000

  Accountancy Profession
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for democratising the accountancy profession. [33900]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  My primary responsiblilty is to ensure that the professional accountancy bodies fulfil their statutory duties in the fields of company audit and insolvency work.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects the latest statistics from the Invest
  838
  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 13 July 1995]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to a question from the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 11 July 1995, Official Report, columns 496–97.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. [33437]

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested in given in the tables. These include details of contracts let centrally and exclude those contracts let independently by the Department's executive agencies.

  in Britain Bureau of the number of inward investment projects coming into the United Kingdom will be published. [34634]

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 13 July 1995.

  Fireworks
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for amending section 67 of the Explosives Act 1875, authorising local authorities in metropolitan areas to enforce section 31 of the Act and deal with dangerous fireworks. [32494]
  839
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  I do not consider it is necessary to amend the Explosive Act 1875 in order to empower trading standards officers to deal with any traders supplying fireworks to children apparently under 16 years of age. While enforcement of section 31 of that Act is for the police, trading standards officers have powers under the General Product Safety Regulations 1994 to prevent the supply by traders of goods, including fireworks, which are unsafe in the hands of those to whom they are supplied, for example the supply of fireworks to children under 16 years of age.

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received. [34562]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Such information is not readily available and cannot be provided other than at disproportionate cost. However, the major suppliers from which computer equipment has been purchased over the past three years, excluding purchasing by executive agencies, are:

  Contract value £

  ICL Enterprises

  11.5 million

  Digital Equipment Company Ltd.

  1.2 million

  Unisys Ltd.

  750,000

  Sequent Computer Systems Ltd.

  250,000

  A much wider range of companies has been involved in the supply of smaller, individual system requirements.

  Financial Reporting
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what responsibilities he has in relation to the operations of(a) the Auditing Practices Board and (b) the Accounting Standards Board. [34101]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  My Department supports the work of both bodies to improve the quality of financial reporting and my officials attend their meetings as observers. My Department provides about one third of the funding of the Financial Reporting Council and its subsidiaries, of which the Accounting Standards Board is one.

  Chartered Association of Certified Accountants
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will be advising the Privy Council to approve the name and designatory change of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants from CACA to CPA. [33901]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The Privy Council Office will be consulting my Department about this once it has consulted the others concerned.
  840

  Audit Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many audit firm partners have been barred from public practice as a result of the criticisms contained in the inspectors' reports published since 1979. [33899]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  This information is not immediately available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman in due course.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to achieve the aim of closing the episodes that led to the Scott inquiry as set out in the list of principal objectives of his Department's export control and proliferation division, published in his departmental MINIS 1995 returns part 2 on 12 June. [30601]

  Mr. Lang
  Principal objective(d) of my Department's export control and non-proliferation division, as published in my Departmental MINIS 1995 returns part 2 on 12 June, calls for the episodes which led to Sir Richard Scott's inquiry to be closed, but in the context of a Government response to the Scott report. It would be premature for me to decide how best to close these episodes before Sir Richard Scott's report is published. Meanwhile, my Department's Scott inquiry unit is providing papers and information on request to Sir Richard Scott's inquiry, and lending factual assistance to witnesses to the inquiry.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if Lord Justice Scott has requested his Department to provide documentation on the role played by the N. M. Rothschild bank in assisting Iraq and Iran to obtain munitions during the Iran-Iraq war. [32884]

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 6 July 1995]: Requests for information from Sir Richard Scott's inquiry are a matter for the inquiry.

  N. M. Rothschild Bank
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what information has been provided to his Department by(a) N. M. Rothschild bank Ltd. or (b) Rothschild Asset Management Ltd. in regard to investment made in Chinese factories between April 1983 and June 1987; [32885]

  (2) what investigations have been conducted by his Department into the funding support provided by N. M. Rothschild bank to companies based in China known to have supplied munitions to the combatants during the Iran-Iraq war. [32889]

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 6 July 1995]: My Department is not immediately aware of such information; nor has it conducted such investigations.
  841

  BMARC
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to the oral statement of 13 June at columns 595–606, who were the directors of BMARC at the time that possible breaches of export controls occurred. [29259]

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 19 June 1995]: H. M. Customs and Excise is responsible for investigating whether any breaches of export control have occurred.

  The directors of BMARC for 1986–89, the period covered by the statement made in the House by my right hon. Friend the then President of the Board of Trade on 13 June 1995, were as follows:

  From 1986, the directors of BMARC were Sir R. Freer, Mr. M. Funk, Mr. D. Isles and Mr. W. Leuch.

  In May 1988 BMARC was acquired by Astra. Mr. D. Isles remained a director, and the following were also appointed directors: Mr. G. James, Mr. C. Gumbley, Mr. J. Miller, Mr. S. Kock, Mr. W. McNaught.

  In September 1988 Mr. J. Aitken was appointed a director. In February 1989 Mr. J. Sellens was appointed a director. In July 1989 Mr. D. Isles resigned as a director.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  United Kingdom Nationals
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provisions are in place, when assessing United Kingdom nationals under the income related benefit scheme (MISC amendment (No. 3)), Regulation 1994 and with reference to article 1 of the 1953 European convention on social and medical assistance and article 13 of the 1961 Council of Europe social charter, for Untied Kingdom nationals returning to the United Kingdom from another EU state, in line with protection offered under EU directions to non-United Kingdom nationals. [31324]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  All income support claimants, including British citizens returning to the United Kingdom from another member state of the European Union, and including non-United Kingdom nationals, are required to show that they are habitually resident in accordance with the provisions of the Income Related Benefit Scheme (Miscellaneous Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 1994 before they can receive benefit. Article 1 of the European convention on social and medical assistance and article 13 of the Council of Europe social charter require the United Kingdom to allow nationals of other signatory states to these conventions, who are lawfully present in this country, access to income support on equal terms with British citizens. The protection afforded under EC legislation to non-United Kingdom nationals is restricted to nationals of the European Economic Area. It applies to certain workers and former workers in this country and meets our current obligations under European Community law.

  Income Support
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many unemployment benefit claimants were disqualified from benefit and(a) were in receipt and (b) were not in receipt of a reduced rate of
  842
  income support during the disqualification period, for each region and for Great Britain as a whole for each quarter since April 1994, indicating those whose unemployment benefit was disqualified for (i) leaving employment voluntarily, (ii) being dismissed for misconduct and (iii) refusal of employment. [32593]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The latest available information is set out in the tables. The information requested on refusal of employment is not kept separately.

  Income Support recipients whose benefit is reduce because of voluntary unemployment or misconduct

  Region

  May 1994

  August 1994

  North eastern

  4,000

  5,000

  London north

  5,000

  7,000

  London south

  3,000

  6,000

  South western

  3,000

  3,000

  Midlands

  6,000

  7,000

  North western

  3,000

  4,000

  Scotland

  3,000

  3,000

  Wales

  1,000

  2,000

  Total

  27,000

  37,000

  Notes:

  1 Figures are at a point in time.

  2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 and so may not sum to the total given,.

  >

  Source:

  Income Support Quarterly Inquiries for May and August 1994.

  Unemployed Claimants disqualified because of voluntary unemployment or misconduct and receiving neither Unemployment Benefit nor Income Support as at May and November 1994

  Refused for leaving work voluntarily

  Refused for losing work through misconduct

  May 1994

  1,800

  600

  November 1994

  2,200

  500

  Note:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

  Source:

  Table 2.2 of Half-yearly analysis of Unemployed Claimants for May and November 1994.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will re-examine the rules on severe hardship payments in respect of young people denied financial help from their families though their relationships have not irretrievably broken down. [32833]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  No. Benefits Agency officers take all the relevant factors into account when deciding whether a young person is at risk of severe hardship. Among the factors considered would be the young person's relationship with their parents and whether they were being provided with any financial or other support.

  Contributions Agency
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received concerning his restructuring plans for the Contributions Agency; and if he will make a statement. [32690]

  Mr. Heald
  The administration of the Contributions Agency is a matter for Mrs. Faith Boardman, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
  843
  Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Ms Joan Walley, dated 13 July 1995:
  As Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for answering questions about operational matters relating to the Agency and the National Insurance (NI) scheme. I have been asked to reply to your questions about representations that have been received concerning the restructuring plans for the Agency.
  Current research has shown that there is a need to match more closely Contributions Agency Field outlets to customer requirements while still maintaining nationwide cover for administration of the NI scheme and the proposed restructuring addresses this issue.
  Representations about the restructuring have been made by the relevant Civil Service Trade Unions and some enquiries about the changes have been made by the business community. The proposed changes take account of research among customers which shows, in general, that they prefer to make contact by telephone or correspondence. The Agency is engaged in a consultation process with staff to consider their views on the proposed future network.
  I hope that my reply proves helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what further steps he is taking to ensure that his Department is able to meet its obligations as stipulated by the National Audit Office in relation to the collection and administration of national insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement; [33318]

  (2) how many staff of the Contributions Agency are involved in (a) the administration and (b) the collection of national insurance contributions; if he will provide a breakdown by (i) region and (ii) Contributions Agency office; and if he will make a statement; [33319]

  (3) what recent meetings have been held with organisations concerning the planning and restructuring exercise, business unit analysis, by the Contributions Agency; and if he will make a statement on the names of those in attendance, the date of each meeting and the matters discussed; [33320]

  (4) what recent representations he has received on the planning and restructuring exercise, business unit analysis, by the Contributions Agency, what is the time scale envisaged for the completion of the exercise; and if he will make a statement; [33321]

  (5) what is the number of inspectors employed in the Contributions Agency who are involved in undertaking regular visits to (a) employers and (b) the self-employed; and if he will provide a breakdown by (i) region and (ii) Contributions Agency office; [33322]

  (6) if he will provide a breakdown of the offices of the Contributions Agency indicating the numbers employed at each office; and if he will make a statement. [33323]

  Mr. Heald
  The administration of the Contributions Agency is a matter for Mrs. Faith Boardman, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mrs. Margaret Ewing, dated 13 July 1995:
  As Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for answering questions about operational matters relating to the Agency and the National Insurance (NI) scheme. I have been asked to reply to your questions about the numbers of staff employed in different areas and their roles within the Agency, the arrangements concerning the current restructuring exercise and the steps that are being taken to meet obligations as stipulated by
  844
  the National Audit Office. In view of the nature of the questions I have combined the responses.Unfortunately the information is not available exactly in the form that you have requested.The Contributions Agency is responsible for ensuring compliance with the law on National Insurance matters. In 1991 the Agency began to move towards a Field Operations network of some 184 Field Offices supported by 90 Inspector outstations. Current research has shown that there is a need to match more closely Contributions Agency outlets to customer requirements while still maintaining nationwide cover for the administration of the NI scheme. Information obtained about density of businesses, density of population and locations of the self employed, has been incorporated into the design of a new network to consist of around 100–115 locations, comprising 70–75 Field Offices and 30–40 Inspector outstations, which will meet National Audit Office requirements. It is planned that most of the changes will be in place within the next two to three years.Representations about the restructuring have been made by the relevant Civil Service Trade Unions and some enquiries about the changes have been made by the business community. The proposed changes take account of research among customers which shows, in general, that they prefer to make contact by telephone or correspondence. The Agency is engaged in a consultation process with staff and Trade Unions to consider their views on the proposed future network.Meetings whose Agendas have included the restructuring plans have taken place between Field Operations management and representatives of the Trade Unions on the following dates: 4 and 5 April, 2, 3 and 12 May, 12 June and 5 July 1995. Representation at these meetings involved Field senior management including the Director of Field Operations and the Business Change Manager. Trade Union representatives were from the Civil and Public Services Association and the National Union of Civil and Public Servants. Meetings have also been held at local levels between management and staff, but details of these are not kept centrally.There are currently 8853 staff in post the Agency. It is not possible to differentiate between staff who are employed on purely administrative work as opposed to those who are involved in the actual collection of National Insurance Contributions.The operational area in regular face-to-face contact with our customers is Field Operations, whose NI inspectors visit employers and self-employed contributors both to monitor their compliance with NI law and in an educational role. At 1 June 1995 there were 3440 staff in post in Field Operations. I regret that at this staff I am unable to supply you with up-to-date figures for the number of staff employed at each location. However, these figures are about to be collated and I will write to you again when they are available. At 31 March 1995 1780 staff held Inspectors' Warrants. Details of the number of inspectors attached to each location are not kept, but the table in Annex 1 shows the number of Warrant holders in each of the Agency's Divisions.I regret that I have been unable to answer the precise questions that you have raised, but I hope that my reply proves helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

  Annex 1: Number of Inspectors Warrants in issue—year end March 1995

  Number of Warrants

  Northern sector

  Caledonia

  70

  East and West Yorkshire

  66

  Edinburgh

  61

  North Lancashire and Cumbria

  48

  Northumberland, Durham and Teeside

  51

  South Yorkshire and Humberside

  59

  Total

  355

  Midland sector

  Birmingham

  61

  Manchester

  47

  845

  Annex 1: Number of Inspectors Warrants in issue—year end March 1995

  Number of Warrants

  Mersey side

  50

  Midlands/North West

  60

  Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire/Derbyshire

  52

  South Lancashire and Cheshire

  61

  Total

  331

  Eastern sector

  Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire

  57

  East Anglia

  58

  Essex

  78

  Hertfordshire

  90

  Leicester and North Hampshire

  55

  North Circular

  72

  Total

  410

  South Eastern Sector

  Capital

  68

  Central

  68

  Kent

  46

  Special Compliance Unit (Bromley)

  6

  South Bank

  33

  South Coast

  45

  Surrey

  50

  Total

  316

  South Western Sector

  Devon and Cornwall

  53

  Hants

  45

  Severn Estuary

  56

  South Circular

  48

  Thames Valley

  48

  Wales

  58

  Wessex

  60

  Total

  368

  Departmental Staff (Shareholdings)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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. [33423]

  Mr. Burt
  None.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against his Department during the last 12 months; how many were successful; and what were the total costs including legal fees and compensation. [34614]

  Mr. Burt
  In the year ending 30 June 1995 there were 58 applications to industrial tribunals for unfair dismissal brought against the Department. Three of these were unsuccessful, six were withdrawn, two were settled before a hearing and 47 are waiting to be heard. Information on legal costs is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of 846
  employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33452]

  Mr. Burt
  There have been no privatisation programmes and no costs have therefore been incurred.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many contracts his Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33572]

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table.

  Year

  Number of contracts

  Total cost £ million

  1990–91

  952

  83.2

  1991–92

  933

  69.7

  1992–93

  863

  36.4

  1993–94

  971

  34

  1994–95

  863

  26.1

  Figures for 1992–93 onwards refer solely to expenditure on consultancy services following work undertaken for the Efficiency Scrutiny into the Government's Use of External Consultants. Figures for earlier years include the costs of contracted services.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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. [33433]

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table.

  Consultancy Firm

  Number of contracts 1990–91 to 1994–95

  Anderson Consulting

  536

  ICL

  409

  PA Consulting

  345

  Price Waterhouse

  327

  Sema

  428

  The monetary value of contracts is restricted commercial information.

  Personnel
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list separately, by each office of his Department, the numbers and grades of casuals, fixed appointments and vacancies in the Coventry travel-to-work area. [33776]

  Mr. Burt
  The information as at 30 June this year is as follows:

  (a) Two staff employed on fixed term contracts in the Administrative Officer grade at the Nuneaton office of the Benefits Agency.

  (b) One member of staff employed as an Administrative Assistant on a casual basis at the Coventry office of the Child Support Agency.

  (c) One member of staff employed as an Administered Assistant on a casual basis at the Nuneaton office of the Child Support Agency.

  (d) One vacancy at Higher Executive Officer grade in the Child Support Agency to be based in the Coventry area.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what representations he has received in
  847
  relation to staff (a) contracts of employment and (b) pension arrangements at SERCO Ltd, following the contracting out of operation by the Benefits Agency; and if he will make a statement; [33850]

  (2) when he last met the head of Serco Ltd; what discussions took place about the staffing levels, protecting confidentiality of claimants and market testing; and if he will make a statement; [33964]

  (3) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the arrangements that exist at the Benefits Agency offices in Lea Roding district in relation of processing the post; and if he will make a statement; [33965]

  (4) what representations he has received in relation to staffing arrangements at Serco Ltd, following contracting out by the Benefits Agency; and if he will make a statement. [33967]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  This is a matter for Mr. Ian Magee, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ian Magee to Mr. Mike Gapes, dated 13 July 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about: (a) staff contracts of employment and pension arrangements following transfer to SERCO Ltd; (b) when he last met the head of SERCO Ltd; (c) discussions and representations received in relation to staffing levels at SERCO Ltd; (d) protecting confidentiality of claimants and the adequacy of the arrangements that exist at the Benefits Agency (BA) offices in the Lea Roding District in relation to processing the post.
  The contract for work was awarded to SERCO Ltd on the understanding that the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981, also known as TUPE, applied. This meant that all BA staff transferred with existing terms and conditions, except pension provisions, to their new employers.
  However, prior to the award of the contract, SERCO Ltd needed to satisfy the Government Actuaries Department that the pension scheme they proposed was broadly comparable with the Principal Civil Service Pension scheme. The BA also provided the opportunity for staff who were transferring to attend advice seminars with representatives from the Government Actuaries Department prior to making any decision about their pension position. The BA has not received representations from staff who transferred to SERCO Ltd in relation to contracts of employment or pensions.
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has not met with the head of SERCO Ltd. There are, however, regular monthly meetings between BA management and SERCO Ltd to discuss service delivery issues. Staffing levels and customer confidentiality have not been on the Agenda at these meetings. However, SERCO Ltd have kept BA management informed of changes and increases in their key staff. I am unaware of specific representations about staffing arrangements at SERCO Ltd in connection with the work the BA has contracted to them.
  In Lea Roding District, post opening and sorting is sub-contracted out by SERCO Ltd to the Royal Mail. The post is opened by Royal Mail staff in a secure area within the sorting office.
  All staff working for SERCO Ltd, and those opening the post, are required to sign a declaration acknowledging the provisions of Section 123 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992, which makes it a criminal offence to disclose personal information provided for Social Security purposes.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made about the number of complaints that have been received about the delays in processing the claims at the Benefits Agency at Lea Roding district; and if he will make a statement. [33966]
  848
  Mr. Evans
  This is a matter for Mr. Ian Magee, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ian Magee to Mr. Mike Gapes, dated 13 July 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about what assessment has made of the number of complaints received at the Benefits Agency's Lea Roding District concerning delays in the processing of claims.
  For the six month period 1 February 1995 to 13 July 1995 the Customer Service Section at Lea Roding District received a total of 233 customer complaints, of which five were in respect of delays in processing claims. All five of these complaints were investigated and responded to within eleven working days of receipt and four of the five delays resulted from the need for the adjudication officer to obtain additional information.
  The level of complaints is closely monitored in all Districts. However, in view of your concern, I have asked the relevant Territorial Director to satisfy herself of the standard of service provided.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Mortgage Protection Policies
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the proportion of homeowners that will be unable to purchase mortgage protection insurance policies. [32046]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  We have made no such estimate. The Association of British Insurers and the Abbey National building society both take the view that virtually anyone who is able to obtain a mortgage should also be able to obtain appropriate insurance. We have identified certain groups such as pensioners and those with pre-existent medical conditions whose ability to obtain full insurance is questionable and we have accordingly made special provisions for such groups in the new scheme.

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many days were lost in sickness in the 12 months by employees in his Department(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the number of days worked; and what was the cost of this absence. [34615]

  Mr. Burt
  The number of working days lost due to sickness in 1994 was 1,117,263–5.37 per cent. of the number of available days. These are the latest figures available and use provisional information. Details of the cost of these absences are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Redundancies
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many redundancies occurred in his Department over the last 12 months; how many were voluntary; and what was the total sum spent on redundancy payments. [34616]

  Mr. Burt
  During the 1994–95 financial year, 864 staff took early retirement or redundancy of which 823 were on voluntary grounds. The total cost of early retirement and redundancies borne on the Department's running costs in 1994–95 was £.18.120 million.
  849

  Residential Care and Nursing Homes
  Sir John Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 4 July,Official Report, column 193, what measures are in place to ensure that care and nursing homes do not increase their fees in excess of increases in the rates of the higher level of income support so that residents of such homes with preserved rights are not forced to use personal savings to meet the difference if fees exceed welfare payments. [34383]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Under the old system of income support limits, the level of fees charged in independent residential care and nursing homes are a matter between the proprietors and the residents, or their relatives and the Government have no authority to intervene.

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received.

  Mr. Burt
  Information is not available in the format requested.

  When buying computer equipment on this scale, in order to obtain the most competitive prices it is the practice to create a framework contract covering the major suppliers—ICL, IBM and SNI—to span a number of years: for example, a large, long-term contract for regular bulk purchases, rather than separate contracts for the large numbers of individual purchases of equipment.

  Benefit Payment Card
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the first benefit payment cards to be issued; and when all such cards will be issued. [34442]

  Mr. Heald
  It is envisaged that the first benefit payment cards will be issued in 1996. The full implementation process is expected to take three years from then.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the benefit payment cards he intends to introduce with particular reference to the information carried on the cards and the methods photographic and electronic of identifying the holder. [34443]

  Mr. Heald
  The design and the type of security features of the benefit payment card have not been decided. Precise details will depend on the evaluation of the proposals from the potential suppliers of the benefit payment card system, including the acceptability to customers and post office staff.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the firms who have been invited to tender for the introduction and operation of the benefit payment card system. [34445]
  850
  Mr. Heald
  Five companies, some of which lead consortiums, were invited to submit proposals in response to a statement of service requirements. These are:

  Cardlink UK

  BT

  EDS

  IBM

  ICL

  The proposals are currently being evaluated with the intention of producing a shortlist of potential prime contractors with whom Post Office Counters Ltd. and this Department will enter into negotiations which we expect to lead to an awarded of contract.

  Benefits Agency (Home Visits)
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many home visits have been made by Benefits Agency staff in the course of their duties in the latest period for which figures are available; and what were the equivalent figures(a) three, (b) five, (c) 10 and (d) 15 years ago. [34444]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

  Income Distribution
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the percentage contribution of social security to the incomes of those in the bottom 10 per cent. through to 50 per cent. of the income distribution, by decile. [33474]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  [holding answer 10 July 1995]: The information is in the table.

  Results for the lowest income deciles exaggerate the proportion of income from social security benefits. This is because the value of benefits received by one member of the household entitled to receive them may be higher than total net household income, after taking into account, for example, business losses by other household members. Such cases are concentrated towards the bottom of income distribution.

  Contribution of Social Security benefits to the bottom five deciles of the income distribution.

  Decile Group

  Social Security benefits as a percentage of total income

  Bottom

  82

  Second

  70

  Third

  50

  Fourth

  31

  Fifth

  20

  Notes:

  1. Figures are for the United Kingdom in 1992–93—the two calender years combined.

  2. Results for the bottom decile will be dominated by people in the top half of the decile since they will have the higher incomes.

  Pension Splitting
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of splitting pensions on divorce for the year 1997 assuming a long term inflation rate of 5 per cent. [32615]
  851
  Mr. Heald
  [holding answer 4 July 1995]: Further to the reply given by the former Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot), the information is not available in the form requested.

  Such information as is available is as follows. The Government Actuary has estimated that if pension splitting on divorce was introduced in 1997, the annual cost to unfunded public service schemes in the first full year would be approximately £500 million at 1994 prices. This estimate assumes that pensions will be split in all divorces relating to active public service scheme members, and that 50 per cent. of the accrued cash equivalent transfer valuation of each divorced member is transferred out of the scheme. No allowance is made for offsetting against other assets, and it is assumed that the current divorce rate continues. There would also be additional legal aid costs.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assumptions have been used to reach the figure for the cost of splitting pensions on divorce for the year 2037; and what is the figure. [32616]

  Mr. Heald
  [holding answer 4 July 1995]: Further to the reply given by the former Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot), splitting pensions on divorce affects the public finances through its effects on tax revenue, the unfunded public service schemes, legal aid and income-related benefit expenditure. In 2037, the main cost arises from lost tax revenue and increased tax relief on pension contributions.

  Using data from the survey of personal incomes and the 1991 Government Actuary's Department occupational pension survey, Inland Revenue has estimated that allowing pensions to be split on divorce would lead to a loss of tax revenue of around £200 million per year by 2037 in 1994 prices.

  This estimate assumes that pensions will be split in up to three quarters of divorces of first time marriages in which the husband has substantial pension rights and the wife has no non-state pension entitlement, and that the whole of the pension earned up to the date of retirement is split. It is also assumed that two thirds of men who are subject to a pension split on divorce will choose to at least partially rebuild their pension by making additional contributions.

  The assumptions used in estimates of the loss of tax revenue in 2037 are not the same as those used in estimates of the costs to unfunded public service schemes arising in 1997. Estimates have necessarily been based on different methods using data from different sources, which has not allowed for the use of consistent assumptions.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  French Nuclear Testing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of what Pacific forums the UK Government are a member; and if he will list for each one the position they have taken on French 852
  nuclear tests in the Pacific and specify Her Majesty's Government's position on that decision. [34151]

  Mr. David Davis
  The United Kingdom is a member of the South Pacific commission, which has not taken a position on the resumption of French nuclear testing.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what dependent territories the United Kingdom has in the Pacific; how far these are from Muroroa; what views have been expressed by the Governments on French nuclear testing; and how these views will be transmitted to the French Government. [34154]

  Mr. Davis
  Pitcairn is the only UK dependent territory in the South Pacific. It is approximately 900 km from Mururoa. The island council has not expressed an opinion on the resumption of French nuclear testing.

  Computer Suppliers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to his Department and its agencies in the last five years, indicating the total value of the contracts received. [34553]

  Mr. Hanley
  To provide the top 10 suppliers of computer equipment to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its agencies for the last five years would involve disproportionate cost. Details for each of the last three years, covering both computer hardware, h/w, and software, s/w, are as follows:

  Supplier

  Total IT

  Hardware

  Software

  1992–93

  Easams

  2,667,087

  2,664,141

  2,946

  Wang UK

  2,186,845

  2,045,591

  141,254

  ICL

  1,128,347

  1,067,687

  60,660

  Secure Computer Systems

  997,312

  934,794

  62,518

  Olivetti

  721,850

  625,778

  96,072

  AT and T

  459,057

  314,311

  144,746

  Informix Software

  372,641

  0

  372,641

  Unitech

  355,439

  213,822

  141,617

  Ferranti

  312,400

  32,400

  280,000

  Lynwood

  310,866

  310,866

  0

  1993–94

  Easams

  2,979,675

  2,843,657

  136,018

  ICL

  1,862,698

  1,631,793

  230,905

  Wang UK

  1,269,422

  1,254,944

  14,478

  Lynwood Scientific Dev

  1,095,640

  1,095,640

  0

  A T and T

  1,084,390

  895,860

  188,530

  Informix

  598,686

  0

  598,686

  Uniplex

  579,585

  0

  579,585

  Secure Computer Systems

  381,784

  377,226

  4,558

  Computer Network Consultants

  341,888

  331,831

  10,057

  Unitech

  249,265

  95,877

  153,388

  1994–95

  Easams

  2,764,947

  2,752,962

  11,985

  ICL

  2,041,195

  1,653,598

  387,597

  A T and T

  1,032,684

  864,691

  167,992

  Lynwood

  464,218

  464,218

  0

  853

  Supplier

  Total IT

  Hardware

  Software

  Unitech

  388,480

  328,704

  59,776

  IQ Software

  385,500

  0

  385,500

  Secure Computer Systems

  341,162

  341,162

  0

  Wang UK Ltd

  292,308

  292,308

  0

  Traderman

  163,165

  71,441

  91,724

  Uniflex Group

  108,920

  0

  108,920

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days were lost in sickness in the last 12 months by employees in his Department(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the number of days worked; and what was the cost of this absence. [34594]

  Mr. Hanley
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not at present have a comprehensive computerised system for recording sick leave. The diplomatic wing compiles this information manually and no statistical analysis is available. Work on computerising these records has begun. Once this project has been completed later this year, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be able to answer this type of question.

  Therefore the information requested by the hon. Member can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Genetically Modified Food (Labelling)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it compulsory to have special labels on genetically modified food products in Britain; and if he will make a statement. [33701)

  Mrs. Browning
  The draft EC regulation on novel foods and novel food ingredients currently under discussion in Brussels will introduce compulsory labelling to indicate the presence in a food, including genetically modified foods, of ethically sensitive material, material which may have health implications for certain sections of the population and the presence within the food of a genetically modified organism, as defined by directive 90/220/EEC, if it has not been modified solely for agronomic reasons.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. [33445]

  Mr. Boswell
  Centralised records are not kept of the numbers of individual contractors between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and consultants, and I am unable to give a definitive reply at this time. However, the information is being collated, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.
  854
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33465]

  Mr. Boswell
  Since 1980 the core Department has spent £159,000 on consultants in connection with privatisation programmes. In addition, studies into the privatisation of the Covent Garden Market authority were undertaken by consultants at a total cost of approximately £41,000.

  During the three years since its establishment as a MAFF agency a total of £142,000 has been spent by ADAS on consultancy projects in connection with privatisation.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. [33863]

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: Expenditure on computer consultancy over the past five years is:

  £ million

  Year

  Expenditure

  1990–91

  4.4

  1991–92

  4

  1992–93

  5.2

  1993–94

  8.3

  1994–95

  5.4

  The estimated expenditure in 1995–96 is around £6 million. Expenditure in the following four years is expected to be in the range of £3.5 million annually, depending upon the requirements, assessment of priorities and PES settlements.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which firms won computer consultancy contracts from his Department and its agencies over the last five years: and what is the number of contracts per firm. [33894]

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: The details requested are as follows:

  Consultants

  Number of contracts

  ACT Logsys

  1

  ACT Business Systems

  1

  Admiral

  3

  AIMS Systems

  1

  Aimtech Europe

  1

  Ampersand

  5

  AMP Systems

  1

  AMTEC

  4

  Applied Information Systems

  1

  Arena

  1

  ASK Group

  2

  Aslib Consultancy

  1

  Asterisk Systems

  6

  Benson Networks

  1

  BIS

  1

  Brandt Computers

  1

  Bristol University

  1

  Brook Systems

  1

  855

  Consultants

  Number of contracts

  Keith Butterfield Associates

  1

  Cambridge Ergonomics

  1

  CAPITA

  1

  CCT

  6

  Chris Cole Associates

  1

  Coopers and Lybrand

  1

  Corporate Computers

  1

  Cray Systems

  1

  CSS Trident

  2

  Digital Equipment Corporation

  1

  D M Shaw Associates

  3

  DPP International

  1

  Duhig Berry

  1

  Electronic Facilities Design

  3

  Eosys

  1

  Ernst and Young

  2

  Exclusive Software

  2

  Exeter University

  1

  FI Group

  4

  Forvus Ltd

  1

  Foxware

  3

  Gateway Systems

  1

  Grafton

  1

  R. T. Grandy Associates

  1

  Harwell Computers

  1

  Hayes-Davies

  1

  Hay Management

  1

  Haynes Associates

  1

  Hoskyns

  3

  Hunterskill

  1

  IBM

  1

  Independent Training Solutions

  1

  Inference Ltd

  1

  Infocus

  1

  Infologistix

  1

  Ingres

  1

  Insight Consultancy

  1

  ISM Consultants

  1

  Intergraph

  1

  Intersect

  1

  International Software

  1

  John Guest Ltd.

  1

  Kermon Associates

  2

  LBMS

  3

  Logica

  2

  Mansell Associates

  1

  Megaware Consultants

  1

  MSB International

  1

  Metron

  1

  Midsummer Computing

  1

  MMT Ltd.

  6

  Mouncey and Partners

  10

  MSB International

  2

  MSG Business Systems

  1

  Neville Clarke

  1

  OFICE

  1

  Oracle

  6

  PA Consulting

  12

  PACTUM Ltd.

  1

  Perspective

  1

  Premier Computing

  1

  Price Waterhouse

  3

  Prime Computer Systems

  1

  Projects Group

  1

  Quanta Learning Systems

  3

  Reading University

  1

  Reed Personnel

  1

  Ricardo Ltd.

  1

  SAC Ltd.

  1

  Sapphire Ltd.

  1

  SEMA Group

  19

  Sequent Computer Systems

  2

  Sequelogic

  1

  Sherwoods Ltd.

  9

  856

  Consultants

  Number of contracts

  Shreeveport Ltd.

  1

  Siemens Nixdorf

  4

  Software Innovations

  1

  Software Support

  1

  Soft Toolrack

  1

  South-West Health Authority

  1

  Softbridge Support Services

  1

  Softlab

  1

  Span Group

  3

  STATUS IQ

  2

  Syntech

  2

  Surrey Training and Enterprise

  1

  Council

  Touche Ross

  11

  TMS Computer Authors

  1

  Triad Ltd.

  15

  Unidata

  1

  Zergo Ltd.

  1

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which firms of consultants employed by his Department over the last year have been paid more than £1,000 per day. [33870]

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 12 July 1995]: During the past year, the following consultants have been employed by my Department at an agreed daily rate of £1,000 or more:

  Charterhouse Bank

  Oxford Communications Group

  Price Waterhouse

  Mrs. J. Olsen

  KPMG Peat Marwick

  Ernst and Young

  Waste Paper Sludge (Thieveley Pike)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received regarding the problems caused by the spreading of waste paper sludge at Thieveley Pike, Cliviger, Burnley. [33614]

  Mr. Boswell
  We have received two letters on this subject and will reply to those parts of the letters which relate to MAFF's interests as soon as we have investigated the matters raised.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against his Department during the last 12 months; how many were successful; and what were the total costs including legal fees and compensation. [34584]

  Mr. Boswell
  Four applications to an industrial tribunal on the grounds of unfair dismissal have been brought against this Department within the last 12 months. Two are pending. Two were withdrawn by the applicants, one of which was on terms providing £1,000 compensation as part of an agreed settlement. No external legal fees have been paid.
  857

  Deputy Prime Minister
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the involvement of the Deputy Prime Minister in the work of his Department. [34036]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 13 July 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 11 July 1995, Official Report, columns 496–97.

  Allowances
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will detail the amount of travel claims at constant prices in his Department in(a) 1993–94 and (b) 1994–95 broken down by (i) public transport, (ii) car mileage allowance and (iii) bicycle allowances. [32214]

  Mr. Jack
  The amount spent by the Department during each of the last two years on public transport and car mileage allowance, at prices and rates current in the relevant year, is as follows:

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  (i) Public transport

  2,285,933

  2,148,659

  (ii) Car mileage allowance

  3,770,826

  3,714,600

  Expenditure on bicycle allowance is not recorded separately but is contained in the public transport figures, which also include some other associated travel costs.

  The figures for 1993–94 include the Pesticides Safety and Veterinary Medicines Directorates.

  Responsibility for such matters within ADAS, the Central Science Laboratory, the Central Veterinary Laboratory and the Pesticides Safety and the Veterinary Medicines Directorates has been delegated to the agency chief executives and I have asked them to reply to you direct.

  Letter from Professor P. I. Stanley to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 14 July 1995:
  The amount of travel claims at constant prices in 1993/94 and 1994/95
  The Central Science Laboratory (CSL) was launched as an executive agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) on 1 April 1992 and following the merger with 2 further laboratories was relaunched on 1 April 1994. Expenditure on travel claims are as follows:

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  Public Transport

  99,051.96

  203,385.79

  Car Mileage Allowance

  66,749.71

  177,904.37

  Bicycle Allowance

  Nil

  Nil

  858
  Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mrs Anne Campbell, dated 14 July 1995:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question concerning the amount of travel claims at the Central Veterinary Laboratory.
  We do not distinguish between bicycle and car mileage and neither do we analyses overseas travel by mode of transport. Against this background the expenditure based on constant 1993/94 prices was as follows:

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  Public transport (UK)

  34,482

  133,673

  Mileage (UK)

  17,839

  115,176

  1 2.75 per cent, deflator used on 1994–1995 costs.

  Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 14 July 1995:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your Question about travel claims.
  The amounts of travel claims at actual prices in 1993/94 and 1994/95 were as follows:

  £

  1993/94

  1994/95

  Public transport (UK and foreign travel)

  77,909

  81,921

  Car mileage allowance

  9,039

  12,923

  Bicycle allowance

  0

  0

  Please note that the figures for 1993/94 are also included in the reply from the Minister. They are given here to enable a comparison to be made between the two years.

  Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mrs. Anne Campbell MP, dated 3 July 1995:

  PQ1 28 JUNE 1995
  The Minister of State has asked me to reply to your question about travel costs incurred by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.
  The information you requested (at 1994–95 prices) is as follows:

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  Public transport

  12,456

  14,434

  Car mileage allowance

  6,842

  9,831

  Bicycle allowance

  Nil

  Nil

  Letter from Dr. J. M. Walsh to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 14 July 1995:
  Recently you tabled a question in the House of Commons (PQ Number 1584) asking the Minister of Agriculture for details of travel claims at constant prices in his Department in (a) 1993/94 and (b) 1994/95, broken down by 1) public transport, 2) car mileage allowance and 3) bicycle allowance.
  I understand that he will be writing to you with details of the core part of the Ministry, but has asked the Chief Executive's to reply on behalf of their agencies. ADAS was formed as an Executive Agency of MAFF and the Welsh Office in April 1992.
  The details requested in constant 1994/95 prices are as follows:

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  Car Mileage Allowances

  3,626,346

  3,458,338

  Public Transport Claims

  217,818

  213,292

  Bicycle Allowances

  0

  0

  859

  Tobacco (Intervention Stock)
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current tonnage and value of tobacco held in intervention by the European Commission. [34640]

  Mr. Baldry
  From the 1993 harvest, the facility to take tobacco into intervention was removed and it can be 860
  re-introduced only in exceptional circumstances. Details of the remaining- volume of intervention stocks for tobacco for harvests prior to 1993, updated on a monthly basis, are available in the Library of the House. There is no information readily available on the value of those stocks, although the value of the different consignments at the time of being taken into intervention, was taken into account in reimbursing member states for storage costs and stock depreciation.

  County Education Budgets
  County Education Budgets
  Building Research Establishment: Key Targets
  Building Research Establishment: Key Targets
  Nursing Home Fees and Income Support
  Nursing Home Fees and Income Support
  Parliament: Rising Times of the Two Houses
  Parliament: Rising Times of the Two Houses
  Armed Forces: Serious Accident Procedures
  Armed Forces: Serious Accident Procedures
  Parachute Regiment: Costs
  Parachute Regiment: Costs
  Mr. Harry Wu
  Mr. Harry Wu
  Non-Proliferation: US/Russia Working Group
  Non-Proliferation: US/Russia Working Group
  Nuclear Non-Proliferation Principals and Objectives
  Nuclear Non-Proliferation Principals and Objectives
  Non-Proliferation Treaty Extension
  Non-Proliferation Treaty Extension
  Rwanda: Arms Embargo
  Rwanda: Arms Embargo