Written Answers of 22 June 1995

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Research Centres
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the interdisciplinary research centres were last reviewed; and if he will make a stateme nt. [29860]

  Mr. Horam
  A list of the interdisciplinary research centres is as shown, indicating when they were last reviewed. Reviews are conducted by the funding research councils, as part of each council's normal funding review programme and according to each council's normal monitoring and evaluation review processes.

  Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IRCs) and Their Last Review

  Funding body

  Title

  Location

  Last review date

  BBSRC

  BBSRC IRC for Biochemical Engineering

  UCL

  March 1995

  BBSRC

  Centre for Genome Research

  Edinburgh

  October 1993

  BBSRC

  Oxford Centre for Molecular Sciences (Joint EPSRC/MRC)

  Oxford

  October 1992

  BBSRC

  Sussex Centre for Neuroscience

  Sussex

  July 1993

  MRC

  Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour

  Oxford

  —

  MRC

  Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology

  UCL

  —

  MRC

  Centre for Mechanisms of Human Toxicity

  Leicester

  —

  MRC

  Cambridge Centre for Protein Engineering

  Cambridge

  May 1994

  MRC

  Institute of Molecular Medicine

  Oxford

  —

  MRC

  IRC in Brain Repair

  Cambridge

  —

  NERC

  Centre for Population Biology

  Imperial

  April 1993

  EPSRC

  Optoelectronics

  Southampton

  April 1994

  EPSRC

  Semi-conductor Materials

  Imperial/UCL/ Oxford/Sheffield

  April 1994

  EPSRC

  Superconductivity

  Cambridge

  April 1995

  EPSRC

  Materials for High Performance Applications

  Birmingham/Swansea

  April 1994

  EPSRC

  Surface Science

  Liverpool/Manchester

  April 1993

  EPSRC

  Process Systems Engineering

  Imperial/UCL

  August 1993

  EPSRC

  Polymer Science and Technology

  Leeds/Bradford /Durham

  March 1994

  ESRC

  Research Centre on Micro Social Change in Britain

  Essex

  May 1993

  ESRC

  Human Communication Research Centre

  Edinburgh/Glasgow

  May 1993

  ESRC

  Centre for Economic Performance

  LSE

  February 1995

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the interdisciplinary research centres in order of date of establishment; and what plans he has to review or extend them. [29861]
  324
  Mr. Horam
  The interdisciplinary research centres are as listed, in order of date of establishment, showing next planned review dates. These reviews, which are part of the research councils' normal evaluation and review processes, include consideration for extending funding.

  Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IRCs) and their Next Planned Review Dates

  Funding body

  Title

  Date of establishment

  Next planned review date

  EPSRC

  Superconductivity

  1987

  —

  EPSRC

  Surface Science

  1988

  in progress

  BBSRC

  Oxford Centre for Molecular Sciences (Joint EPSRC/MRC)

  1988

  1996–97

  EPSRC

  Semi-conductor Materials

  1988

  October 1995

  EPSRC

  Polymer Science and Technology

  1989

  1996

  ESRC

  Human Communication Research Centre

  1989

  September 1997

  ESRC

  Research Centre on Micro Social Change in Britain

  1989

  September 1997

  EPSRC

  Optoelectronics

  1989

  1996

  EPSRC

  Process Systems Engineering

  1989

  December 1995

  EPSRC

  Materials for High Performance Applications

  1989

  1996

  NERC

  Centre for Population Biology

  1989

  April 1998

  MRC

  Institute of Molecular Medicine

  1989

  October 1995

  BBSRC

  Centre for Genome Research

  1990

  1997

  ESRC

  Centre for Economic Performance

  1990

  September 1998

  MRC

  Cambridge Centre for Protein Engineering

  1990

  1998–99

  BBSRC

  Sussex Centre for Neuroscience

  1991

  1997

  EPSRC

  Biomedical Materials

  1991

  1996

  MRC

  Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour

  1991

  March 1996

  BBSRC

  BBSRC IRC for Biochemical Engineering

  1991

  1999

  MRC

  IRC in Brain Repair

  1992

  1996–97

  MRC

  Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology

  1993

  1995–96

  MRC

  Centre for Mechanisms of Human Toxicity

  1993

  1997–98

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to resist the intervention of the European Union directly or indirectly in the military situation in the former Yugoslavia. [29946]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The EU has no military role in the former Yugoslavia. Forces from EU member states are there under UN and not EU mandates.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has to what proportion of atrocities in former Yugoslavia have been committed by each party. [29947]

  Mr. Hogg
  It is generally regarded, by the UN and other humanitarian organisations, that the Serbs have committed most of the atrocities. However, all parties have been responsible for acts of this kind. We
  325
  condemn all human rights abuses and atrocities committed in the course of the conflict.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent his policy in the former Yugoslavia has been influenced by religious considerations. [29951]

  Mr. Hogg
  Not at all.

  Obscene Publications
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom is meeting its obligations under the agreement and convention for the suppression of the circulation of obscene publications; and what steps he is taking to ensure future compliance. [30020]

  Mr. Baldry
  The 1910 agreement requires contracting states to designate an authority to co-ordinate information and communicate it, where appropriate, to the authorities in other countries. In the United Kingdom, the Home Secretary is the designated authority.

  The 1923 convention encourages signatories to introduce domestic and import legislation to curb the trade in obscene publications. The UK meets its main obligations under the convention through the provisions of the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 and the Customs Consolidation Act 1876.

  Child Abduction
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the work of his Department in the field of child abduction over the past year; and what work is planned in the year ahead. [30389]

  Mr. Baldry
  We provide support to families in 75 cases worldwide. We initiated an EU demarche urging a range of countries to sign up to the Hague and European conventions. We raised child abduction at the 50th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights and in an EU presidency statement to the Commission on Human Rights. We maintained our funding and commitment to Reunite, the national council for abducted children. We held two meetings with the all-party parliamentary group. We work closely with the Lord Chancellor's Department.

  In the year ahead we shall continue to press foreign Governments to sign the conventions and to support the families of abducted children.

  Nuclear Tests (France)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he is making(a) through the EU and (b) unilaterally to persuade the French Government not to test nuclear weapons in the Pacific; what representations he has received from (i) New Zealand, (ii) Australia, (iii) other Commonwealth countries o this issue; and if he will make a statement. [30175]

  Mr. David Davis
  We have received representations from a number of Commonwealth Governments, including those of Australia and New Zealand, expressing concern over the French decision to suspend their moratorium on nuclear testing. We understand that 326
  concern, but do not believe that a strictly limited programme of tests need affect the prospects for the early conclusion of a comprehensive test ban treaty, which remains our and the international community's main priority.

  Anti-personnel Land Mines
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to introduce controls on the production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines apart from the recent extension of the moratorium on the export of anti-personnel land mines from the Untied Kingdom. [31032]

  Mr. David Davis
  We have been working with the Untied States for some time on ideas for regulating the production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel land mines. I am pleased to announce that we and the United States have reached agreement on proposals for a land mine control programme. These will be discussed at an international meeting in Budapest, Hungary, on 29 and 30 June at which a number of European countries and others from key regions will be represented. Our aim is to reduce the dangers to civilians from anti-personnel land mines, by seeking international agreement to effective controls.

  I shall place a summary of the proposed programme in the Library of the House.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provision has been made to make payments to certain beneficiaries of the Gibraltar social insurance fund. [31078]

  Mr. Baldry
  Pending agreement with the Government of Gibraltar on distribution of the assets of the fund, provision has been made for further interim payments to the value of £2 million in the current financial year, following the full draw-down of payments made available to the fund in 1989. Provision for these payments has been made within class II, vote 5.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Child Abduction
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he will make it his policy that the passports of wards of court and other children at risk of child abduction be endorsed with details of relevant court orders. [30393]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Consideration is currently being given by the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office to the question of the endorsement of the passports of children at risk of child abduction. It is not possible at this stage to indicate the likely outcome of this process.

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the work of his Department in the field of child abduction over the past year; and what work is anticipated in the year ahead. [30387]

  Mr. Taylor
  The child abduction unit within my Department carries out work relating to the Hague
  327
  convention on child abduction and the European custody convention. In 1994 the unit dealt with 323 new cases, an increase of 18 per cent. on those received in 1993. A further rise in work load is anticipated in the year ahead.

  District Judges
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many days each of the full-time Liverpool district judges, formerly registrars, have been absent in each of the last 10 years for which the information is available. [28925]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. David Alton, dated 22 June 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of days each Liverpool district judge has been absent.
  I should explain that each district judge is expected to sit between 215 and 220 days each year. This includes sitting at a court centre and other official business, such as training and conferences. The table provided in PQ 95/605 shows that in 1993 and 1994 the full-time district judges at Liverpool exceeded the number of days they are expected to sit each year. In these circumstances, it is therefore inappropriate to refer to absences.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what procedure should be followed by persons who wish the Lord Chancellor to be apprised of matters which are or may be relevant to the exercise of his powers to remove from office or otherwise discipline district judges; [28943]

  (2) what powers the Lord Chancellor has to remove district judges from office or otherwise discipline them. [28940]

  Mr. Taylor
  Under the provisions of the County Courts Act 1984 the Lord Chancellor has power to remove a district judge from office on account of misbehaviour or on account of the district judge's inability to perform the duties of his or her office. The Lord Chancellor is unable to comment on, or intervene in, judicial decisions or the conduct of legal proceedings by a judge. The appropriate recourse in relation to such matters is through the appellate process provided by statute. Persons wishing to make a complaint about the conduct of any member of the judiciary should write to the Lord Chancellor.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which full-time Liverpool district judges, formerly registrars, have sat in the Liverpool district of the High Court and Liverpool county court in each of the last 10 years for which information is available. [28934]

  Mr. Taylor
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. David Alton, dated 22 June 1995:
  328
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question about the district judges at Liverpool.

  The full-time district judges who have sat at Liverpool in the past ten years are as follows:

  1985

  Morris-Jones

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Harrison

  Harris

  Richardson1

  1986

  Morris-Jones

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  Richardson1

  Wolfson1

  1987

  Morris-Jones

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  McCullagh

  Richardson1

  Wolfson1

  1988

  Morris-Jones

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  McCullagh

  Richardson1

  Wolfson1

  1989

  Grundy

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  McCullagh

  Travers

  Richardson1

  Wolfson1

  1990

  Grundy

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  McCullagh

  329

  Travers

  Richardson1

  Wolfson1

  1991

  Grundy

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  Wolfson

  Knopf

  Richardson1

  McCullagh1

  Travers1

  Bennett1

  1992

  Grundy

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  Wolfson

  Knopf

  Richardson1

  McCullagh1

  Travers1

  Bennett1

  1993

  Grundy

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  Wolfson

  Knopf

  Richardson1

  McCullagh1

  Travers1

  Bennett1

  Johnson1

  1994

  Grundy

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  Wolfson

  Knopf

  McCullagh1

  Travers1

  Bennett1

  Johnson1

  Frost1

  330
  1995

  Grundy

  Berkson

  Wilkinson

  Gee

  Harris

  Wolfson

  Knopf

  McCullagh1

  Travers1

  Bennett1

  Johnson1

  Frost1

  1 Sitting part-time at Liverpool and part-time at other court centres on the Liverpool Group.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much remuneration has been paid to each full-time Liverpool district judge, formerly registrar,in each of the last 10 years for which information is available. [28935]

  Mr. Taylor
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. David Alton dated 22 June 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question about how much remuneration has been paid to the Liverpool district judges.
  As you will appreciate specific details about individual judge's salaries are confidential. However I am able to provide you with a list of pay scales for district judges from 1 November 1984 to 1 April 1995. These are as follows:

  £

  1 November 1984

  28,500

  1 July 1985

  29,925

  1 March 1986

  30,500

  1 July 1986

  31,850

  1 April 1987

  33,204

  1 October 1987

  33,500

  1 April 1988

  34,840

  1 October 1988

  37,500

  1 April 1989

  39,400

  1 April 1990

  41,750

  1 January 1991

  43,450

  1 April 1991

  46,700

  1 August 1991

  48,200

  1 December 1991

  49,100

  1 April 1992

  52,520

  1 April 1993

  54,035

  1 April 1994

  56,974

  1 April 1995

  59,327

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much time each full-time Liverpool district judge, formerly registrar, has spent(a) sitting, (b) on other business and (c) in total in his capacity as a district judge in each of the last 10 years for which information is available. [28936]
  331
  Mr. Taylor
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. David Alton, dated 22 June 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to your Question about how much time the Liverpool district judges have spent sitting and on other business in the past ten years.
  I should explain that information is available only for the past three years. The following tables show for each year since 1993 the number of days each full-time district judge at Liverpool has spent sitting and on other official business, such as training and conferences. You have also asked for the annual total amount of time each district judge has spent in his official capacity. This figure, which also includes annual leave and sick leave, is given in the final column of each table.

  1993

  Name

  Sitting

  Other business

  Total

  Grundy

  178.5

  51

  249.5

  Berkson

  192.5

  45

  248.5

  Wilkinson

  179.5

  47

  248.5

  Gee

  219

  13

  249.5

  Harris

  213.5

  8.5

  248.5

  Wolfson

  207.5

  6

  248.5

  Knopf

  207.5

  21

  249.5

  Richardson1

  21

  0

  21

  McCullagh1

  87.5

  9

  100.5

  Travers1

  44

  2

  48

  Bennett1

  7

  0

  7

  Johnson1

  37

  1

  39

  1 Figures refer to part-time sittings at Liverpool. These full-time district judges also sit at other court centres in the Liverpool Group.

  1994

  Name

  Sitting

  Other business

  Total

  Grundy

  168.5

  49

  249.5

  Berkson

  183.5

  40

  249.5

  Wilkinson

  175.5

  27.5

  243

  Gee

  213.5

  9

  255.5

  Harris

  209.5

  13

  251.5

  Wolfson

  191.5

  6

  248.5

  Knopf

  227.5

  11

  260.5

  McCullagh1

  84.5

  5

  99.5

  Travers1

  42

  0

  46

  Bennett1

  44

  3

  49

  Johnson1

  164

  6.5

  198.5

  Frost1

  50

  0

  58

  1 Figures refer to part-time sittings at Liverpool. These full-time district judges also sit at other court centres in the Liverpool Group.

  1995 (up to end May)

  Name

  Sitting

  Other business

  Total

  Grundy

  68

  9

  79

  Berkson

  79.5

  10

  101.5

  Wilkinson

  73.5

  13

  101.5

  Gee

  91

  3

  101.5

  Harris

  86.5

  3

  101.5

  Wolfson

  82.5

  3

  101.5

  Knopf

  86.5

  3.5

  106

  332

  1995 (up to end May)

  Name

  Sitting

  Other business

  Total

  McCullagh1

  32.5

  4.5

  40.5

  Travers1

  16.5

  0

  18

  Bennet1

  16.5

  0

  20

  Johnson1

  74.5

  3.5

  82.5

  Frost1

  34

  1

  42

  1 Figures refer to part-time sittings at Liverpool. These full-time district judges also sit at other court centres in the Liverpool Group.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what public expense other than in terms of remuneration has been incurred in respect of maintaining the full-time district judges at Liverpool including the costs or relative proportion thereof(a) buildings, (b) equipment, (c) support staff, (d) pensions and national insurance and (e) other expenses in each of the last 10 years for which information is available. [28937]

  Mr. Taylor
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. David Alton, dated 22 June 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to your Question about the cost of maintaining district judges at Liverpool.
  I am sorry to have to tell you that this information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints have been made about or against full-time Liverpool district judges, formerly registrars, to (i) the Lord Chancellor in person and (ii) the Lord Chancellor's Department in each of the last 10 years for which information is available. [28939]

  Mr. Taylor
  Records relating to complaints about the conduct of district judges have been kept only since 1992. They are broken down into the following categories: (i) complaints made to the Lord Chancellor via a Member of Parliament and (ii) complaints from all other sources. No complaints are recorded under the first category. Under the second, the figures are as follows:

  1992: 2

  1993: 1

  1994: 5

  1995 (part): 1

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what documentation or other evidence must be produced by a district judge to the Lord Chancellor's Department to substantiate or justify his absence through illness. [28938]

  Mr. Taylor
  District judges are expected to notify the Department of any sickness absence within 24 hours of the first day of incapacity and to follow this up with a self-certificate for absences of seven days or less. A doctor's statement is required for absences exceeding seven days.

  Civil Legal Aid
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will give for each year since 1979–80 and by each legal aid group or area the total number of legal aid certificates for civil claims involving(a) personal injury claims and (b) mucous membrane disease. [28927]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The total number of certificates issued in respect of personal injury claims in each year since 1990–91, the first year for which these figures are available, is as follows:

  1990–91: 61,351

  1991–92: 82,102

  1992–93: 92,071

  1993–94: 81,550

  1994–95: 87,809

  It is not possible to break these figures down by legal aid area, nor is it possible to identify separately certificates issued in respect of mucous membrane disease.

  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will give for each year since 1979–80 and by each legal aid group or area the total number of appeals against the withdrawal of legal aid certificates for civil claims involving(a) personal injury claims and (b) mucous membrane disease. [28928]

  Mr. Taylor
  The information requested is not available.
  334
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average cost of civil legal aid excluding matrimonial and family proceedings for personal injury claims and mucous membrane disease for each legal aid group or area. [28929]

  Mr. Taylor
  The average cost of civil legal aid bills in personal injury cases in 1994–95 by legal aid board area was:

  £

  London

  4,724.68

  South Eastern

  3,721.27

  Southern

  3,923.94

  South Western

  3,510.97

  South Wales

  1,971.24

  West Midland

  2,203.33

  East Midland

  2,660.46

  Eastern

  3,441.09

  Northern

  1,695.75

  North Eastern

  2,584.09

  North Western

  2,609.15

  Chester and North Wales

  2,473.23

  Merseyside

  1,744.52

  All offices

  2,712.71

  The information requested in respect of mucous membrane disease is not separately identifiable on the legal aid board's computer systems and, therefore, it is not possible to provide separate figures for that category of case.

TREASURY

  Rent-a-room Tax
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of extending the rent-a-room tax allowance to all tenanted property. [28883]

  Sir George Young
  The rent-a-room scheme was introduced in the Finance (No. 2) Act 1992. It applies to individual owner occupiers and tenants who let furnished accommodation in their only or main home.

  Under this scheme gross annual rents from this sort of letting which do not exceed £3,250 per annum for one qualifying individual, or £1,625 per annum; for more than one, are exempt from tax altogether. Individuals who receive income which exceeds £3,250, or £1,625, in a year are able to choose between paying tax on it in the ordinary way—that is on the balance of gross receipts after actual expenses—or paying tax only on the amount by which their gross receipts exceed £3,250, or £1,625, without any relief for actual expenses.

  The annual cost of extending the rent-a-room allowance to all individual landlords of tenanted property would be £250 million, without allowing for any behavioural effects which would increase the cost.

  Visitor Accommodation (VAT)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the rate of VAT which is chargeable on visitor accommodation in each of the EU member states; and what is his estimate of the net loss to the Treasury if a level of eight per cent. VAT were applicable in the United Kingdom to such accommodation. [29925]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The information requested is in the tables. No figures for VAT from hotels and holiday accommodation are available.

  VAT on holiday accommodation in the EC

  Country

  Rate Per cent.

  Austria

  20

  Belgium

  16, 20.5

  Denmark

  25

  Finland

  22

  France2

  5.5

  Germany

  15

  Greece

  8

  Ireland

  12.5

  Italy

  9,319

  Luxembourg

  15

  Netherlands

  6

  Portugal4

  5,(4)

  Spain

  7

  Sweden

  12

  United Kingdom

  517.5 (5)

  Notes:

  1 6 per cent. applies to hotels and camp sites.

  2 The following rates apply generally in Corsica: 0.9 per cent., 2.1 per cent., 8 per cent., and 13 per cent.

  3 The standard rate of 19 per cent. applies to luxury hotels.

  4 The rates in brackets apply in the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores Archipelagoes.

  5 The 5 per cent. in the UK applies to hotel accommodation in the Isle of Man as from 1 October 1994.

  336

  VAT on holiday accommodation in the EC

  Country

  Rate Per cent.

  Austria

  10

  Belgium

  6

  Denmark

  25

  Finland

  22

  France1

  5.5

  Germany

  15

  Greece

  8

  Ireland

  12.5

  Notes:

  1 The following rates apply generally in Corsica 0.9 per cent., 2.1 per cent., 8 per cent. and 13 per cent.

  2 Standard rate of 19 per cent. applies to luxury hotels.

  3 The rates in brackets apply in Madeira and the Azores Archipelagoes.

  4 The 5 per cent. rate shown for UK applies to hotel accommodation in the Isle of Man as from 1 October 1994.

  Company Cars
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the current tax reliefs and exemptions available for company cars; and what was the cost of such reliefs and exemptions in(a) 1994–95 and (b) 1995–96. [30095]

  Sir George Young
  The discounts, for business mileage and for older cars, from the tax charge on the benefit of private use of a company car are regarded as part of the charging structure, rather than as specific exemptions. The exemption for car accessories for the disabled, introduced in the Finance Act 1995, is expected to have negligible cost for 1995–96.

  Business Ratepayers
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals lodged by business ratepayers are still waiting to be dealt with for each district valuers office in England and Wales. [29903]

  Mr. Nelson
  The information is given in the following tables:

  Number of rating appeals outstanding as at 31 May 1995 National summary

  Region

  Total

  Central

  72,674

  East

  56,734

  London

  65.565

  North

  53,724

  South

  43,612

  West (western only)

  22,640

  Total England

  314,949

  Wales only

  10,690

  Total England and Wales

  325,639

  337

  Number of rating appeals outstanding as at 31 May 1995 Central Region

  Local office

  Total

  Birmingham

  6,476

  Bolton

  3,010

  Burnley

  3,500

  Chester

  2,178

  Coventry

  3,117

  Crewe

  3,631

  Kidderminster

  3,355

  Lancaster

  4,314

  Lichfield

  2,686

  Liverpool

  3,950

  Manchester

  4,053

  Preston

  1,962

  Rochdale

  2,869

  Salford

  4,423

  Sandwell

  1,852

  Shrewsbury

  2,132

  Stockport

  5,107

  Stoke

  3,125

  Warrington

  3,626

  Warwick

  2,306

  Wolverhampton

  1,921

  Worcester

  3,081

  Regional total

  72,674

  Number of rating appeals outstanding as at 31 May 1995 East Region

  Local Office

  Total

  Bedford

  2,716

  Cambridge

  2,403

  Chelmsford

  5,514

  Colchester

  4,922

  Derby

  4,014

  Grimsby

  2,575

  Ipswich

  2,887

  Leicester

  3,777

  Lincoln

  2,536

  Loughborough

  2,479

  Mansfield

  3,147

  Northampton

  2,466

  Norwich

  3,425

  Nottingham

  3,526

  Peterborough

  3,861

  St. Albans

  3,732

  Stevenage

  2,754

  Regional total

  56,734

  Number of rating appeals outstanding as at 31 May 1995 London Region

  Local office

  Total

  Barking

  2,177

  Bromley

  3,298

  Camden

  2,654

  City

  7,484

  Ealing

  2,839

  Enfield

  6,104

  Greenwich

  3,114

  Harrow

  6,069

  Islington

  6,293

  Kensington

  3,264

  Lambeth

  3,972

  Redbridge

  2,593

  Tower Hamlets

  3,533

  Westminster

  6,295

  338

  Number of rating appeals outstanding as at 31 May 1995 London Region

  Local office

  Total

  Wimbledon

  4,561

  LSU

  1,315

  Regional total

  65,565

  Number of rating appeals outstanding as at 31 May 1995 North Region

  Local office

  Total

  Alnwick

  1,624

  Bradford

  3,216

  Carlisle

  1,733

  Doncaster

  5,237

  Durham

  4,265

  Halifax

  5,589

  Harrogate

  2,521

  Hull

  3,485

  Leeds

  4,239

  Middlesbrough

  3,505

  Newcastle

  4,059

  Sheffield

  5,006

  Sunderland

  4,005

  Ulverston

  2,183

  York

  3,057

  Regional total

  53,724

  Number of rating appeals outstanding as at 31 May 1995 South Region

  Local office

  Total

  Aylesbury

  3,117

  Basingstoke

  1,622

  Bournemouth

  1,807

  Brighton

  2,676

  Chatham

  3,045

  Dorchester

  1,637

  Eastbourne

  2,014

  Folkestone

  1,474

  Guildford

  2,579

  Oxford

  2,506

  Portsmouth

  2,350

  Portsmouth (IOW)

  585

  Reading

  3,653

  Reigate

  4,469

  Southampton

  2,953

  Swindon

  1,605

  Turnbridge Wells

  3,648

  Worthing

  1,872

  Regional total

  43,612

  Number of Rating Appeals Outstanding as at 31 May 1995 Wales and West Region

  Local office

  Total

  Bangor

  1,089

  Barnstaple

  1,376

  Bath

  1,902

  Bristol

  3,086

  Cardiff

  2,454

  Carmarthen

  1,848

  Exeter

  2,337

  Gloucester

  2,539

  Merthyr Tydfil

  871

  Newport

  1,233

  Plymouth

  2,463

  339

  Number of Rating Appeals Outstanding as at 31 May 1995 Wales and West Region

  Local office

  Total

  St. Austell

  6,071

  Swansea

  1,795

  Taunton

  2,866

  Wrexham

  1,400

  Regional total

  33,330

  Arms Exports
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Customs and Excise staff were responsible for processing arms exports for each year since 1979. [29333]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 19 June 1995]: Customs' control of arms exports is integrated into general export procedures. It is not possible separately to identify numbers of staff engaged in processing any particular type of export consignments.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Recycling
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what steps are being taken to increase the amount of recycling of all types of waste product by the Houses of Parliament.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  The policy of the two Houses is to recycle all waste matter which can reasonably be segregated and recycled. The process is audited to ensure compliance with the Palace's waste collection contract. Waste which is unsuitable for recycling is taken to an authorised landfill site for disposal. Further segregation before collection is precluded by space and staffing constraints.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 22 June. [28550]

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 22 June. [28549]

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

  Singapore
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Prime Minister on what occasions since 1984 the Government have made representations to the Government of Singapore about the activities of a company called Charter Industries of Singapore. [29726]

  The Prime Minister
  Chartered Industries of Singapore are part of the Government-owned Singapore 340
  technologies group. The British high commission, in the course of its export promotion activities, has regular discussions with the Singapore Ministry of Defence, which may include reference to Chartered Industries of Singapore.

HEALTH

  Asthma
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths of children aged under 17 years were caused by asthma in each of the past five years. [29091]

  Mr. Sackville
  The following is the information deaths coded to Asthma (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, code 493) as underlying cause to children aged between 28 days1 and up to 16 years of age, England and Wales 1989–1993.

  Numbers

  Year

  Males

  Females

  Total

  1989

  21

  11

  32

  1990

  30

  12

  42

  1991

  26

  14

  40

  1992

  15

  9

  24

  1993

  11

  11

  22

  1 For deaths at ages less than 28 days it is not possible to derive an underlying cause of death. However between 1989–93 there were no deaths under 28 days of age with an infant mention of Asthma.

  Special Transitional Grant
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 13 June,Official Report, column 429, if she will list those authorities that were unable to spend 85 per cent. of their special transitional grant for 1993–94 in the independent sector. [29551]

  Mr. Bowis
  We are not yet able to give a complete list of those authorities which have failed to satisfy the 85 per cent. condition on the special transitional grant for 1993–94. This depends on the resolution of reports raised on the audited returns of a number of local authorities by district auditors. Inquiries are being pursued with the district auditors and the local authorities as appropriate.

  Bristol Royal Infirmary
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will(a) publish, or (b) place in the Library the submissions made in early 1992 by Dr. Bolsin expressing concerns about arterial switch operations on paediatric patients at the Bristol Royal infirmary. [29515]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department did not receive a submission from Dr. Bolsin in 1992.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions were drawn by officials from her Department who visited the Bristol Royal infirmary in July 1994 and considered the performance of arterial switch operations on paediatric patients at that hospital. [29517]

  Mr. Sackville
  An official visited Bristol Royal infirmary in July 1994 but this was on a matter unconnected with arterial switch operations.
  341
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will(a) publish or (b) place in the Library the report submitted earlier this year by Marc R. De Leval and Stuart Hunter regarding the performance of arterial switch operations on paediatric patients at the Bristol Royal infirmary. [29516]

  Mr. Sackville
  The report was commissioned by Dr. John Roylance, chief executive of United Bristol hospitals trust. Inquiries regarding the report should be directed to Dr. Roylance.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sources informed her Department's decision to instruct the discontinuation in January of the performance of arterial switch operations on paediatric patients at the Bristol Royal infirmary. [29518]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department did not instruct the trust to discontinue arterial switch operations.

  In-House Bids
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those parts of her Department or departmental agencies which were privatised without an in-house bid; if she will indicate the expertise which was absent in her Department or departmental agencies which prevented an in-house bid from taking place; which future parts of her Department or departmental agencies she intends to privatise; and which of them do not have the necessary in-house expertise to mount an in-house bid. [29427]

  Mr. Sackville
  During the period 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1995, the Department contracted out four activities without in-house bids: the welfare food scheme; the provision of office services at Quarry house, Leeds; security services at Richmond house; and building management for part of the London estate. In the case of the latter, the private sector was better equipped to deliver the service and to advise on the new technology that was required. The decision to contract out the other three activities was taken for management and operational reasons.

  Contracting out is under consideration in a number of other areas but we have no firm plans as yet.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were in residential and nursing homes in November 1994 whose care was being purchased by the local authority social services department following an assessment of their needs for care. [29345]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information available centrally relates to the position as at 31 March 1994 and was published in statistical bulletin 1994/13 "Personal Social Services: Residential Accommodation in England 1994", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of people receiving care in(a) nursing homes and (b) residential homes; and how many are being financed by (i) the local health authority, (ii) benefits, (iii) community care payments by local authorities and (iv) their own resources. [29714]
  342
  Mr. Bowis
  The available information is summarized in the table. No information is routinely available on numbers of people financed by their own resources or by the local health authority.

  Residential and nursing care in England, 1993–94

  Numbers in thousands

  Type of home

  People receiving care

  Residents in receipts of income support2 4

  Residents supported by local authorities3 4

  Nursing care

  1441

  79

  25

  Residential care

  2913

  111

  121

  1 Number of occupied beds at the date of inspection in nursing homes registered under Section 23 of the registered Homes Act 1984.

  Source: Department of Health statistical return KO36.

  2 Residents may also receive other benefits apart from Income Support, eg., state pension.

  Source of data: Department of Social Security Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 1994.

  3 As at 31 March 1994.

  Source: Department of Health statistical returns RAC5 and SR1.

  4 Sources of financial support are not mutually exclusive. Residents may receive financial support from a number of different sources, including both income support and local authority support, as well as using their own resources.

  Hospital Discharge
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of beds blocked as a result of hospitals being unable to discharge patients due to the lack of appropriate arrangements being made by social services departments for their care in the community. [29711]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information is not available in the form requested. The results of a survey of hospital discharge were published in "Community Care Monitoring Report 1994" copies of which are available in the Library.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been treated by dentists(a) within the national health service and (b) privately each year since 1979. [29641]

  Mr. Malone
  National health service dental treatment may be provided by the general dental service, Information on the general dental service and the community dental service is shown in table 1. For the general dental service, information is available centrally only about the number of coursed of treatment administered to patients, rather than the number of patients treated. Since October 1990, the majority of treatments for children have been carried out under a capitation scheme. Therefore since 1989–90 the number of courses of treatment recorded for children represents only a partial picture of the number of children receiving treatment.
  343
  For the hospital dental service, the information available is for episodes completed and first referrals, rather than the number of patients treated. The information is shown in table 2.

  Information on private treatments is not available centrally.

  Table 1

  The General and Community Dental Services General Dental Services (GDS):

  Number of courses of treatment for adults and children; Community Dental Services (CDS):

  Number of patients treated—1979 to 1994–95 England

  Year

  GDS Adults

  CDS Children

  All patients

  1979

  17,351,250

  9,813,360

  1,359,000

  1980

  18,599,830

  10,013,790

  1,381,000

  1981

  18,975,130

  10,060,060

  1,357,000

  1982

  19,724,540

  10,201,760

  1,345,000

  1983

  20,316,210

  10,189,260

  1,224,477

  1984

  20,864,560

  10,106,270

  1,226,328

  1985

  21,338,100

  10,048,010

  1,212,738

  1986–87

  21,961,680

  10,141,430

  1,193,528

  1987–88

  22,394,600

  10,024,360

  1,155,856

  1988–89

  24,026,520

  10,231,320

  1,072,247

  1989–90

  22,809,160

  19,936,960

  993,533

  1990–91

  22,558,739

  17,987,146

  924,455

  1991–92

  24,273,099

  13,098,815

  941,831

  1992–93

  25,141,300

  12,805,865

  943,389

  1993–94

  24,847,648

  12,863,912

  908,820

  1994–95

  24,913,096

  13,053,036

  n/a

  1 Excludes GDS courses of treatment for children paid for under the capitation scheme. GDS courses of treatment are recorded in the year in which they were completed.

  Note:Figures for the CDS for years 1979 to 1982 are quoted to the nearest thousand.

  Table 2

  The Hospital Dental Service Episodes in dental specialties in NHS hospitals England, 1979 to 1993–94

  Year

  Ordinary admissions

  Day cases

  New referrals to out-patients

  1979

  69,497

  22,980

  534,642

  1980

  78,502

  25,070

  551,663

  1981

  82,046

  26,164

  562,352

  1982

  75,694

  24,078

  580,454

  1983

  88,301

  27,628

  591,421

  1984

  90,915

  30,849

  616,644

  1985

  91,509

  33,812

  614,962

  1986

  93,225

  37,563

  594,575

  1987–88

  101,995

  n/a

  536,340

  1988–89

  99,702

  41,481

  518,709

  1989–90

  99,509

  48,740

  548,663

  1990–91

  96,668

  56,596

  527,708

  1991–92

  96,341

  81,954

  552,194

  1992–93

  92,449

  92,333

  585,240

  1993–94

  85,577

  102,590

  579,888

  Notes:

  1 Dental specialties included: Oral surgery, Restorative dentistry, Paediatric dentistry from 1984, Orthodontics, GP Dentistry to 1981, Dental medicine specialties from 1990–91. Specialties before 1982 may not be directly comparable with specialties from 1982.

  2. Ordinary admissions are counted on completion of the episodes. Completion represents Discharges and Deaths to 1987–88, Finished Consultant Episodes from 1988–89.

  Source:

  Department of Health returns SH3, KP70, KH09.

  Milk Consumption
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been carried out by her Department on the effect on the health of the population of the level of milk consumption. [29616]

  Mr. Sackville
  No studies have been carried out by the Department of Health on the effect of the level of milk consumption on the health of the population in general.

  Community Care
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the value of the independent living transfer element of the community care transfer funding for 1996–97 and future years(a) in total and (b) for each local authority; how it will be identified; and what plans he has to make new arrangements relating to it. [29769]

  Mr. Bowis
  Final decisions on these matters have yet to be taken. I shall be consulting the local authority associations later this year.

  Diet
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she gives to the public on the importance of milk and cheese to a balanced diet. [29591]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department of Health's nutrition task force, in conjunction with the Health Education Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, published the "National Food Guide, The Balance of Good Health", in July 1994. This shows that milk and dairy foods can make an important contribution to a balanced diet. It advises people to choose lower fat versions whenever they can. Copies of the "National Food Guide" will be placed in the Library.

  Foetuses
  Mr. Patten
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 21 April,Official Report, column 310, what plans she has for new research following that completed for the Department in 1988 by Dr. Maria Fitzgerald into whether foetuses feel pain while being aborted. [30021]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department recently asked Dr. Maria Fitzgerald to update her original report. A copy of her second report entitled "Foetal Pain: an update of current scientific knowledge" will be placed in the Library.

  Consultants
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of consultants in whole-time equivalents in each of the last five years. [30425]

  Mr. Malone
  The information is shown in the table.

  Hospital medical consultants: Whole-time equivalents England at 30 September each year

  Year

  Consultants

  1989

  13,670

  1990

  14,190

  1991

  14,500

  1992

  14,850

  1993

  15,210

  Note: All figures rounded to the nearest 10.
  345
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average number of hours worked by consultants in any available year in each of the last 10 years. [30427]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not routinely collected by the Department. However, data are available from surveys carried out by the Office of Manpower Economics in 1989—the results were published in the 20th (1990) report of the Doctors and Dentists Review Body—and by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, published in 1994.

  The OME gave average weekly hours spent on all national health service activities including emergency recall in 1989 as:

  Contract type

  Hours

  Whole time

  49.4

  Maximum part-time (MPT)

  47.7

  Other part-time

  36.3

  Honorary

  54.4

  Whole time and MPT

  48.6

  The MMC estimated that mean weekly hours spent by consultants on NHS and private practice work in 1992 were as follows:

  Contract type

  NHS hours

  Private practice hours

  Whole time

  53

  6

  Maximum part-time

  51

  11

  Less than maximum part-time

  45

  16

  Consultants on whole-time and maximum part-time contracts are required to devote substantially the whole of their professional time to NHS work. Maximum part-time consultants forgo one eleventh of their salary in return for no limit on private practice earnings.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the proportion of time spent by consultants on administration in the last 10 years. [30252]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if candidates for management posts at national health service trusts are obliged to declare personal connections to trust chairmen; and if chairmen are required to make declarations in such circumstances. [28326]

  Mr. Malone
  All board members are required to subscribe to the code of conduct for national health service boards, which makes it clear that chairman and board members should act impartially and should not be influenced by social or business relationships when acting on behalf of the trust. When recruiting for management posts, trusts should take appropriate steps to ensure that potential conflicts of interest are identified and dealt with in line with the code.

  Appetite Suppressants
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has of side effects and addiction caused by appetite suppressant drugs. [29307]
  346
  Mr. Sackville
  There are currently five drug substances licensed for use as appetite suppressants— dexfenfluramine, diethylproprion, fenfluramine, mazindol, and phenteramine. All these medicines have a stimulatory effect on the nervous system and it is recognised that long-term use may lead to dependence. Appetite suppressants are only indicated for short-term use, limited to a maximum of three to six months. The numbers of adverse drug reactions reported through the yellow card scheme for these medicines are shown in the table. A report of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. The larger number of reactions with dexfenfluramine and fenfluramine reflects their wider usage and the five drugs cannot be compared directly using these figures.

  Other than dependence, recognised adverse reactions to appetite suppressants include systematic and pulmonary hypertension, insomnia, agitation, depression, psychosis, diarrhoea, headache and rash. These effects are included in the product information on these medicines provided to doctors.

  Adverse reactions reported to the Medicines Control Agency for appetite suppressants

  Drug

  Total number of reactions

  Number of reactions indication dependence

  Dexfenfluramine

  1,518

  12

  Diethylpropion

  350

  35

  Fenfluramine

  1,071

  30

  Mazindol

  410

  0

  Phenteramine

  202

  3

  Backlog Maintenance
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the estimates of capital expenditure required for backlog maintenance for each region for each year since 1991; and what was the value of the actual backlog maintenance programme for each year since 1991 in each region. [29533]

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

  Both capital and revenue expenditure may be used to meet backlog maintenance costs. Expenditure figures for this purpose are not separately identified.

  The figures in the table indicate the estimated cost at the end of each financial year for clearing repairs and bringing the estate up to a satisfactory condition. From 1991–92 they include an additional element for meeting statutory and safety standards arising from the removal of Crown immunity to the national health service.

  Backlog maintenance estimates by region 1990–91

  £ thousands

  Region

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Northern

  97,109

  138,672

  142,129

  Yorkshire

  98,988

  1—

  125,987

  Trent

  102,170

  120,375

  119,383

  East Anglia

  66,156

  1—

  83,462

  Oxford

  81,961

  1—

  89,925

  North West Thames

  70,934

  1—

  84,049

  North East Thames

  300,500

  329,303

  331,467

  347

  Backlog maintenance estimates by region 1990–91

  £ thousands

  Region

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  South East Thames

  108,939

  240,789

  264,256

  South West Thames

  150,222

  178,099

  176,176

  Wessex

  107,539

  86,088

  111,461

  South Western

  112,878

  153,415

  123,605

  West Midlands

  280,554

  320,737

  307,229

  Mersey

  50,148

  46,553

  64,310

  North Western

  104,911

  126,373

  144,011

  1 —Incomplete information available.

  Backlog maintenance estimates by region 1993–94

  £ thousands

  Region

  1993–94

  Northern and Yorkshire

  321,103

  Trent

  132,983

  Anglia and Oxford

  243,135

  North Thames

  503,381

  South Thames

  378,527

  South and West

  230,419

  West Midlands

  382,500

  North West

  198,950

  Capital Revenue Expenditure
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the outturn figures for each regional health authority of the capital and revenue expenditure for 1994–95; and what were the revenue and capital allocations for each region for 1994–95. [29534]

  Mr. Sackville
  The 1994–95 total revenue and capital cash limits for regions are shown in the table. The split between revenue and capital will not be known until figures for permitted virement between capital and revenue have been reported by regions. On the basis of total cash drawings, outturn for all regions is expected to equal cash limits. Final figures on attribution between revenue and capital cash limits and outturn will be available at the end of July.

  £ thousands

  RHA

  1994–95 cash limit capital and revenue

  Northern and Yorkshire

  3,267,340

  Trent

  2,273,848

  Anglia and Oxford

  2,270,829

  North Thames

  3,779,078

  South Thames

  3,472,138

  South and West

  3,043,381

  West Midlands

  2,469,805

  North West

  3,296,326

  Total

  23,872,745

  Notes:

  1. Figures are provisional.

  2. Analysis between revenue and capital will not be available until all authorities have completed their annual accounts for 1994–95.

  Mental Health Act 1983
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted under the Mental Health Act 1983 as a percentage of total admissions for the last five years for which figures are available, broken down into health authorities. [29905]
  348
  Mr. Bowis
  Information on the number of patients is not available centrally as some patients may be admitted more than once. Information on the number of formal admissions under the Mental Health Act 1983 and other legislation as a percentage of total admissions in the psychiatric specialities by region of treatment is shown in the table. Comparable data are not available for the special health authorities.

  Formal admissions under the Mental Health Act 1983 and other legislation as a percentage of total admissions in the psychiatric specialties

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  England

  7.3

  7.3

  7.9

  8.7

  8.1

  Northern

  4.8

  5.2

  5.4

  6.2

  6.0

  Yorkshire

  6.2

  6.4

  9.1

  11.9

  6.8

  Trent

  7.0

  7.7

  6.0

  5.8

  5.1

  East Anglian

  7.9

  8.3

  8.0

  8.7

  7.9

  North West Thames

  11.1

  10.7

  15.1

  18.0

  17.1

  North East Thames

  8.2

  8.2

  9.6

  16.4

  13.7

  South East Thames

  5.6

  7.0

  7.9

  9.9

  10.2

  South West Thames

  16.2

  12.5

  13.0

  18.0

  9.2

  Wessex

  5.7

  5.4

  4.8

  4.0

  5.2

  Oxford

  5.4

  6.8

  8.2

  7.7

  9.3

  South Western

  5.5

  6.6

  7.2

  6.5

  6.7

  West Midlands

  6.2

  6.0

  5.0

  5.2

  6.2

  Mersey

  7.0

  6.1

  8.0

  6.8

  7.0

  North Western

  7.9

  7.5

  7.3

  7.0

  6.2

  Staff Grades and Associate Specialists
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the total numbers of staff grade and associate specialist grade doctors in each of the last five years; and what percentage in each of those years were women. [30251]

  Mr. Malone
  The information is shown in the table.

  Hospital medical associate specialists and staff grades in England as at 30 September each year

  Numbers

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Associate specialists

  790

  880

  880

  900

  970

  Percentage who were women

  41

  38

  38

  36

  35

  Staff grades

  30

  270

  490

  740

  1,110

  Percentage who were women

  24

  31

  31

  27

  38

  Notes:

  1. Data are rounded to the nearest 10.

  2. Data relates to hospital medical staff.

  Source:

  Statistical Bulletin Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Service Medical and Dental Staff in England 1983 to 1993.

  Bull Bars
  Mrs Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the number of child and adult deaths caused each year by bull bars on vehicles. [30253]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Assaults
  Mrs Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on trends in assaults in casualty departments in the last five years. [30295]

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on assaults in casualty departments is not available centrally.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many assaults have taken place on NHS premises in each of the last five years; and how many have taken place in casualty departments. [30296]

  Mr. Sakville
  This is a matter for local management and information is not available centrally.

  Casualty Departments
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of casualty departments have a designated area for the assessment of patients with psychiatric problems and specialist personnel to do this assessment. [30294]

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is not available centrally.

  Medical Students and Consultants
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of(a) medical students and (b) consultants were women in each of the last five years. [30250]

  Mr. Malone
  The table shows the percentage of women medical students and consultants in the years 1989 to 1993 in England. We do not yet have figures for women medical students and consultants for 1994.

  Numbers

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Student

  1,467

  1,544

  1,576

  1,721

  1,720

  Per cent.

  47

  49

  49

  53

  51

  Consultant

  2,256

  2,418

  2,540

  2,688

  2,837

  Per cent.

  15

  16

  16

  17

  17

  Note:

  The figures for medical students are taken for academic years starting in the year shown. Consultant figures are as at 30 September.

  Junior Doctors' Hours
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to issue guidance on the minimum amount of sleep a junior doctor should have in a 24-hour period and in one week. [30254]

  Mr. Malone
  None.

  We continue to make significant progress through the new deal on junior doctors' hours, copies of which are available in the Library, to reduce both contracted and actual hours of work.

  The priority new deal target this year is to see that no junior doctor works more than 56 hours a week on average during their contracted duty period. Ensuring that juniors benefit from adequate rest periods means that this target can more easily be met.

  Childhood Psychosis (Schools)
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that local education authorities provide sufficient appropriate special school places for children who suffer from autism and other forms of early childhood psychosis. [29085]

  Mr. Forth
  I have been asked to reply.

  The assessment of children with autism and early childhood psychosis and the identification of a suitable school for them is the responsibility of the local education authority in whose area they live. The appropriate school for such children will not always be a special school. It may be a mainstream school or in a specialist unit attached to a mainstream school.

  Passive Smoking
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to protect workers and customers in the tourism and leisure industry from the effects of passive smoking. [29647]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government's view is that passive smoking can best be addressed by voluntary means. To this end, the Health and Safety Executive has issued guidance to employers calling on them to adopt smoking policies to protect workers from the effects of environmental tobacco smoke. The Department of the Environment has issued a code of practice for owners and managers of public places.

ENVIRONMENT

  Offshore Installations
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy on the abandonment of offshore oil and gas installations; how many representations he has received on the subject; and if he will make a statement. [28989]

  Mr. Atkins
  The Government's policy on the abandonment of offshore oil and gas installations is that the operators responsible should establish the best practicable environmental option in the light of a detailed case-by-case examination, thus complying with the United Kingdom's international commitments. My Department has received a few dozen representations, mainly about an individual case.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that all nuclear waste imported into the United Kingdom for recycling is safely transported and stored. [29640]

  Mr. Atkins
  The transport of radioactive materials is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport; the storage of radioactive materials on nuclear licensed sites is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.

  Sonic Repellents
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures exist to ensure that companies test sonic repellents to determine the physiological and wider effects of their devices on marine wildlife before they are put into commercial operation.

  Mr. Atkins
  I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that such devices in use represent a threat to marine wildlife. The Department, jointly, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, is sponsoring Loughborough university to carry out research into acoustic position fixing devices, and the use of passive deterrents, on fishing nets, aimed at reducing cetacean fatalities through bycatches.

  Rents
  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has commissioned or evaluated in respect of possible regulation of private rents. [29604]

  Mr. Curry
  None.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate his Department has of the average current market rent for(a) a bedsit, (b) a studio flat, (c) a two bedroom flat and (d) a four bedroom home in (i) the country as a whole and (ii) each region. [29605]

  Mr. Curry
  The most recent available information on estimated average market rents in England for 1993–94, is as follows:

  £ a week

  Bedsit

  40

  Studio flat

  67

  Two bedroom flat

  88

  The estimates are from the survey of English housing 1993–94. Like all estimates from household surveys they are subject to sampling error. The sample is not large enough to provide a regional breakdown and the sample of four bedroom properties with market rents is too small to provide a reliable estimate for England.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the bodies that have sent representations to him asking for private rent levels to be regulated. [29603]

  Mr. Curry
  None.

  Architects (Registration) Acts
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will introduce legislation to amend the Architects (Registration) Acts 1931 to 1969; and if he will make a statement. [29970]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The need for reform of this legislation is accepted. We are seeking an early legislative opportunity bearing in mind other pressures on the programme.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by shire county the amounts 352
  of county fund revenue reserves each is budgeting to hold at the end of 1995–96 excluding estimated balances held by schools under local management of schools; and what percentage this represents of the budget requirements for 1995–96. [26855]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  [holding answer 6 June 1995]: The following estimates of the level of reserves at 31 March 1996, excluding schools balances, are calculated from authorities' planned use of reserves in their budgets for 1995–96 as reported on their revenue account return. These reserves include amounts, which may be significant in some cases, which may be earmarked for specific purposes and thus not be available to the council for general use. Further information, including estimates of the split between earmarked and unallocated reserves at the beginning of 1995–96, is currently being collected by my Department via an ad-hoc survey of revenue reserves, but the following figures do not incorporate any amendments which may be made as a result of that survey.

  Non-LMS budgeted level of reserves at 31 March 1996

  Reserves1£000s

  Percentage of budget requirement2

  Avon

  6,367

  1.1

  Bedfordshire

  6,303

  1.8

  Berkshire

  8,999

  2.0

  Buckinghamshire

  26,013

  6.6

  Cambridgeshire

  29,000

  7.6

  Cheshire

  21,574

  3.7

  Cleveland

  3,940

  1.0

  Cornwall

  13,573

  4.8

  Cumbria

  9,683

  3.2

  Derbyshire

  0

  0.0

  Devon

  9,150

  1.5

  Dorset

  8,112

  2.3

  Durham

  7,141

  2.0

  East Sussex

  15,521

  3.7

  Essex

  33,750

  3.7

  Gloucestershire

  979

  0.3

  Hampshire

  15,930

  1.8

  Hereford and Worcester

  5,571

  1.5

  Hertfordshire

  27,187

  4.5

  Humberside

  4,260

  0.8

  Isle of Wight U. A.

  4,724

  5.1

  Kent

  15,200

  1.6

  Lancashire

  9,223

  1.0

  Leicestershire

  7,660

  1.4

  Lincolnshire

  15,947

  4.6

  Norfolk

  6,945

  1.6

  Northamptonshire

  11,226

  3.2

  Northumberland

  4,325

  2.2

  North Yorkshire

  9,777

  2.5

  Nottinghamshire

  3,803

  0.6

  Oxfordshire

  6,521

  2.1

  Shropshire

  3,479

  1.4

  Somerset

  20,620

  7.8

  Staffordshire

  36,310

  6.2

  Suffolk

  2,631

  0.7

  Surrey

  46,217

  8.5

  Warwickshire

  12,479

  4.6

  West Sussex

  3,322

  0.8

  Wiltshire

  4,117

  1.3

  1 Revenue Account (RA96) return. Level of reserves at 31 March 1996 = Estimated general fund reserves at beginning of financial year 1995–96 (excluding schools) + Appropriations to/from financial reserves in respect of the repayment of internal charges for the use of assets + Other appropriations to/from financial reserves.

  2 Column 1 as a percentage of budget requirement, taken from the Revenue Account (RA96) return.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes following the High Court decision by Mr. Justice Ognall on the appeal by the Inland Revenue on the separate valuation for council tax purposes of annexes set aside in houses for elderly relatives; and if he will make a statement. [30022]

  Mr. Curry
  We will study the full text of the judgment as soon as it is available, in order to decide what action may be necessary. Our current understanding is that it affects only a small number of cases where there is an unresolved dispute as to whether a property contains one dwelling or more than one dwelling for council tax purposes.

  The ruling, as we understand it pending full examination of the transcript, does not mean that thousands of families caring for elderly relatives are likely to face additional back dated council tax bills. The High Court has not said that either granny annexs generally or the particular granny annexs which were the subject of these cases are liable to separate council tax. They have merely said that the valuation tribunals concerned took irrelevant factors into account in taking their decisions. They have remitted the cases to the tribunals for reconsideration.

  The Government do not believe, and the judgment does not appear to suggest, that families should be financially penalised for sharing their home with an elderly relative or relatives.

  Local Government Commission
  Sir John Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for which districts he will direct the Local Government Commission to carry out new reviews, and if he will make a statement. [30933]

  Mr. Gummer
  In my statements of 2 and 21 March I said that I would be directing a newly constituted commission to carry out new structure reviews of a small number of individual districts.

  I named 20 districts which I had in mind to refer to the commission. I said that nine of these would definitely be referred; for the remaining 11 we would hold meetings with the district councils and their county councils before coming to a view. That programme of meetings is now complete. I have considered all the arguments and decided that all 20 districts should be referred to the Commission for new reviews. They are: Basildon, Blackburn, Blackpool, Broxtowe, Dartford, Exeter, Gedling, Gillingham, Gloucester, Gravesham, Halton, Huntingdonshire, Northampton, Norwich, Peterborough, Rochester upon Medway, Rushcliffe, Thurrock, Warrington, and the Wrekin.

  I also said that, while I would consider requests from other districts to be reviewed, it was very unlikely that I should want to add significantly to the number of referrals to the commission. I have carefully considered all the requests which I have received, and in the light of those representations I have concluded that the district of Spelthorne in Surrey should be added to the list of reviews. Spelthorne is in many ways similar to the Berkshire districts which are to be given unitary status, and the proximity of Heathrow airport creates unusual and
  354
  specific problems for the authority. Against that background I judge that the district's case for unitary status deserves to be considered.

  We have concluded that in these cases the arguments are substantial enough to warrant further consideration. It will be for the commission to recommend whether or not it should have unitary status. It will then be for me to accept, modify or reject the proposals and Parliament ultimately to decide. I have not been convinced by the representations from other districts and have therefore concluded that no others should be referred to the commission for review.

  The commission will be directed to carry out these reviews with effect from the beginning of July. All of them will be carried out under new guidance to the commission. We have consulted on a draft and I shall publish the final version in the next few days, in time for the commission to start work promptly.

  I have also considered further the case of Rutland, in particular the implications for costs and service delivery, following my statement of 21 March. Rutland has a very clear sense of local identity and I am now satisfied that a unitary authority in Rutland would best reflect the identities and interests of the local community and secure effective and convenient local government. I have therefore decided to accept the commission's recommendation for Rutland to be given unitary status. We shall be consulting in due course on a draft order to give effect to that decision.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Offshore Installations
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate his Department has made of the effect on fishing opportunities of the abandonment of offshore oil and gas installations. [28985]

  Mr. Jack
  My Department is contributing to an interdepartmental review of offshore abandonment policy. The committee charged with this work has prepared a consultative document, "Guidance Notes for Industry", setting out the Government's policy and procedures on offshore abandonment and this has been sent to fishermen's organisations and other interested bodies to seek their views. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Brent Spar
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to a memorandum by W. McMinn of his Department's fisheries laboratory for Dr. John Campbell, dated 6 December 1993, dealing with the contents of the Brent Spar storage unit. [30245]

  Mr. Jack
  The memorandum prepared by fisheries scientists does not require further consideration in the context of deep sea disposal as the remarks made related to the removal of sludge and ballast water for disposal in coastal waters.

  Veterinary Products
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what veterinary products containing organophosphorous compounds have been licensed for use in sheep dipping since 1972; and if he will give their

  Date licence issued

  Date licence expired

  Product name

  Alternative presentation

  Manufacturing company (licence holder)

  Active ingredient

  1 September 1972

  —

  Neocidol Winter Dip

  Paracide Fly and Scab Dip (when sold by Battle Hayward and Bower)

  CIBA Agriculture

  Diazinon

  1 September 1972

  21 November 1989

  Fisons Sheep Dip

  None

  Fisons Plc

  Diazinon

  1 September 1972

  31 August 1989

  Youngs Carbonphenothion Powder Fly Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Carbophenothion

  1 September 1972

  31 August 1989

  Youngs Sovereign Fluid Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Carbophenothion

  1 September 1972

  31 August 1989

  Youngs Jason Green Label Liquid Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Carbophenothion

  1 September 1972

  8 October 1990

  Youngs Mycotic Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Iodofenphos

  1 September 1972

  30 June 1987

  Battles Improved Fluid Dip

  None

  Battle Hayward and Bower Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  1 September 1972

  31 August 1989

  Youngs Defly Liquid Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Carbophenothion

  20 November 1972

  20 November 1987

  Youngs 200 Liquid Tick Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Chlorpyrifos

  20 February 1973

  16 November 1987

  Supona Sheep Dip

  None

  Shell Chemical UK Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  16 May 1973

  21 November 1989

  Youngs Killtick Liquid Tick Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Chlorpyrifos

  16 May 1973

  16 May 1988

  Youngs Powder Fly Dip

  Youngs Summer Mycotic Dip

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Bromophos

  13 February 1975

  15 March 1991

  Asuntol Sheep Dip

  None

  Bayer UK Ltd.

  Coumaphos

  24 October 1975

  21 November 1989

  Battles Op Fluid Dip

  None

  Battle Hayward and Bower Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  9 July 1976

  9 July 1986

  Youngs Dursban Winter Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Chlorpyrifos

  18 February 1977

  21 November 1989

  Youngs Iodophefos Scab Approved Winter Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Iodofenphhos

  24 January 1979

  21 January 1989

  Battle Improved Organophosphorus Fluid Dip

  None

  Battle Hayward and Bower Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  28 February 1979

  31 March 1993

  Osmonds Viper Dip

  None

  Osmond and Son (Dublin) Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  19 October 1979

  21 November 1989

  Viper Winter Dip

  None

  Ace Chemicals Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  1 September 1980

  8 July 1989

  Youngs Scab Approved Diazinon Winter Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Diazinon

  6 November 1980

  6 November 1990

  Youngs Summer Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Propetamphos

  6 November 1980

  —

  Youngs Biotic Sheep Dip

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Propetamphos

  24 June 1981

  21 November 1989

  Farmers Fly and Tick Dip Prodip

  Viper Supona Fly and Tick Dip

  Ace Chemical Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  11 January 1984

  17 September 1991

  Prodip Ectomort Centenary

  None

  Hoechst UK Ltd.

  Propetamphos

  11 January 1984

  —

  Ectomort Centenary

  None

  Robert Young and Co. Ltd.

  Propetamphos

  26 January 1984

  30 November 1990

  Ovidip R Scab Approved Sheep Dip

  None

  Merck Sharp and Dohme Ltd.

  Propetamphos

  6 April 1984

  6 April 1989

  Rodgers No.10 Neu Fly and Tick Dip

  None

  Dexstar Chemicals Ltd.

  Chlorpyrifos

  24 January 1985

  15 April 1994

  Coopers Powerpack Summer Dip

  None

  Coopers Animal Health Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos and Diazinon

  31 January 1985

  23 August 1990

  Coopers Summer Dip 400

  None

  Coopers Animal Health Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  6 February 1985

  14 April 1993

  Coopers Winter Dip 200

  None

  Coopers Animal Health Ltd.

  Diazinon

  12 April 1985

  —

  Coopers Powerpack Winter Dip

  None

  Mallinckrodt Veterinary Ltd.

  Diazinon

  13 August 1985

  —

  Paracide Plus

  Summer Fly Dip

  Battle Hayward and Bower Ltd.

  Diazinon

  30 September 1985

  31 March 1993

  Youngs Scab Approved Jason Winter Dip

  Coopers Winter Dip (with Phenols) (when sold by Coopers Animal Health)Robert Young and Co. Ltd.Propetamphos

  12 March 1986

  12 March 1991

  Coopers Dismaster Dip Scab Approved

  None

  Coopers Animal Health Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos Diazinon

  2 July 1986

  31 March 1993

  Coopers Border Winter Dip Scab Approved

  None

  Coopers Animal Health Ltd.

  Propteamphos

  356
  proprietary name, the manufacturing company, the exact ingredients and the date of licence in each case. [29733]

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 20 June 1995]: According to our records, the information requested is as set out in the table:
  357

  Date licence issued

  Date licence expired

  Product name

  Alternative presentation

  Manufacturing company (licence holder)

  Active ingredient

  1 October 1986

  —

  Osmonds Gold Fleece Sheep Dip

  Golden Fleece Sheep Dip (when sold by Bimeda UK Ltd.) Deosan Diazinon Sheep Dip (when sold by Divesey Ltd.) Downland Scab Approved Fly Dip (when sold by Osmond and Son (Dublin) Ltd.)

  Osmond and Son (Dublin) Ltd.

  Diazinon

  31 October 1988

  1 April 1993

  Osmonds Northern Fly Dip

  None

  Osmond and Son (Dublin) Ltd.

  Chlorfenvinphos

  24 February 1988

  —

  Diazadip All Seasons Sheep Dip

  None

  Bayer Plc

  Diazinon

  26 October 1988

  —

  Flyte 1250

  Seraphos Scab Approved Sold by Crown Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Downland Seraphos Scab Approved (when sold by Downland Marketing Ltd.)Robert Young and Co. Ltd.Propetamphos

  29 April 1994

  —

  Coopers All Seasons Fly and Scab Dip

  None

  Mallinckrodt Veterinary Ltd.

  Diazinon

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  National Lottery
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what is the average prize received by winners in(a) the national lottery and (b) the national lottery scratch card competition; [30028]

  (2) on what date Camelot received income from the national lottery which completed recoupment of its initial investment; and on what date this had been expected when the contract was signed. [30027]

  Mr. Dorrell
  This is an operational matter for Camelot Group plc. I have therefore asked the director-general of the national lottery, who is responsible for regulating the operation of the Lottery, to write to the hon. Member, placing copies of his response in the Libraries of the House.

  Advisory Council on Libraries
  Mr. Berry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, what plans he has to revise the membership of the Advisory Council on Libraries following the local election results on 4 May. [30170]

  Mr. Dorrell
  None.

  Film Industry
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what were the costs of the compilation, publication and distribution of his Department's publication on the British film industry. [29755]

  Mr. Dorrell
  The document was published as a Command Paper by HMSO, which has borne the printing and publishing costs with the aim of recovering these from sales revenue. My Department incurred additional production and distribution costs of approximately £14,150, including VAT.

  Rugby
  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on his Department's response to the third report of the National Heritage Select Committee's report on Rugby League and Rugby Union, HC (1994–95) 276. [29902]
  358
  Mr. Sproat
  My Department responded to the National Heritage Select Committee's report on 31 May and I have today placed a copy of the response in the Library.

  Library and Information Commission
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 31 January to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Spring),Official Report, columns 617–18, what appointments he has made to the new Library and Information Commission. [30934]

  Mr. Dorrell
  I am pleased to be able to announce the following appointments to the Library and Information Commission:

  Douglas Adams—author

  Mark Wood—Reuters

  Dr. Sandra Ward—Glaxo

  Sir Charles Chadwyck-Healey —chairman of Chadwyck-Healey Publishing

  Rabbi Julia Neuberger—Camden and Islington community health service NHS trust

  Professor Judith Elkin—head of University of Central England school of information studies

  Councillor Eddy Arram—Croydon borough council

  Dr. Brian Lang—chief executive, British Library

  Derek Law—director of information services and systems, King's college London

  Dr. George Chambers—formerly chairman of the Northern Ireland CBI

  Dr. Robert McKee—director of libraries and arts, Solihull metropolitan borough council

  Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer—chairman of the former LISC(E) and of the British Library's Advisory Committee on the research and development department.

  I am confident that with the breadth and depth of experience this membership represents, the new commission is well equipped to deal with all the issues on which I originally anticipated it working.

  Churchill Papers
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if any person associated with the Winston Churchill memorial trust sought to interest him
  359
  or his predecessor in the possible purchase for the nation of the Churchill papers prior to the acquisition of the papers by the national heritage memorial fund. [29854]

  Mr. Dorrell
  Neither I nor my predecessor were ever approached with any specific proposal by the Churchill Archive settlement trust to purchase the papers direct.

  Memorial Fund
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for national heritage what responsibility he has for ensuring that the national heritage memorial fund operates in such a way as to secure economy and value for money in relation to its acquisitions policy. [29654]

  Mr. Dorrell
  The primary responsibility for securing economy and value for money in the operations of the national heritage memorial fund lies with the trustees and the accounting officer of the fund. These responsibilities are established by way of a financial memorandum agreed between my Department and the fund and the directions I have issued to them in accordance with section 26(3) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 for securing the proper management and control of the money paid to them.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the membership and terms of appointment of the national heritage memorial fund. [29656]

  Mr. Dorrell
  There are currently 14 trustees of the National Heritage memorial fund, each appointed for a term of three years from the dates indicated.

  Trustee

  Appointment date

  Lord Rothschild (Chairman)

  11 April 1995

  Lord Crathorne

  16 August 1992

  Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden

  118 September 1993

  Professor Palmer Newbould

  123 April 1994

  Sir Martin Jacomb

  129 July 1994

  John Keegan Esq.

  1 August 1994

  Sir Martin Holdgate CB

  25 April 1995

  W. Lindsay Evans Esq.

  123 April 1995

  Cmdr Michael Saunders Watson DL

  13 February 1993

  Mrs. Catherine Porteous

  16 February 1994

  Sir Richard Carew Pole Bt DL

  118 June 1994

  Mrs. Caryl Hubbard CBE

  1 August 1994

  Sir Nicholas Goodison

  116 August 1994

  Mrs. Diane Nutting

  120 November 1994

  1 Re-appointment.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make it his policy to require the national heritage memorial fund to take a second opinion on the valuation of acquisitions and for that valuation to be made available for public inspection. [29655]

  Mr. Dorrell
  The policy on the number of, and publicity relating to, valuations secured by the national heritage memorial fund is a matter for the trustees of the fund.

TRANSPORT

  Rail Franchises
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions he has had with the franchising director concerning the eligibility of 360
  Compagnie Generale Des Eaux to receive an invitation to tender for rail franchises, as defined by clause 26, subsection (3) of the Railways Act 1993; [30171]

  (2) what guidance he has given to the franchising director regarding his duties as defined by clause 26, subsection (3) of the Railways Act 1993. [30172]

  Mr. Watts
  None.

  Ms Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport as of 17 June how many companies, organisations or individuals have been refused an invitation to tender for private rail franchises for reasons of(a) an inappropriate financial position, (b) inappropriate managerial competence and (c) not being an appropriate person as defined by clause 26, subsection (3) of the Railways Act 1993. [30173]

  Mr. Watts
  This information is commercially confidential.

  Rail Fares
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the average change in rail fares between(a) 1965 and 1979 and (b) 1979 and 1995. [30248]

  Mr. Watts
  The information requested is not available for the period between 1965 and 1979. Based on a basket of over 2,000 fares, the average annual change in British Rail fares between 1971–72 and 1978–79 was 2.7 per cent. in real terms. Between 1978–79 and 1994–95, the average annual change was 1.9 per cent. in real terms.

  "The Way Ahead"
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the costs of the compilation, publication and distribution of his Department's publication, "Transport: The Way Ahead". [29756]

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The costs of design, printing, compilation and distribution of "The Way Ahead" were £29,000.

  Road Construction
  Mr. Meaeher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list annual outturn and planned expenditure on new construction of roads in England, as defined in figure 22 of his Department's "Transport Report 1995", for the period 1979–80 to 1997–98 in(a) cash terms, (b) constant prices and (c) constant prices allowing for the introduction of value added tax on motorway and trunk road improvement contracts let after 1 April 1989. [29532]

  Mr. Watts
  The information requested regarding new construction outturn and expenditure in cash terms and constant prices is set out in the table.

  The effect of VAT is more difficult to determine because:
  complex transitional arrangements applied when VAT on construction contracts was introduced in 1989;
  VAT does not apply uniformly to all costs; and
  the Department's accounting records do not identify separately VAT that is not recoverable. To identify this would involve examining every contract and this could be done only at a disproportionate cost.
  361

  DoT expenditure on new construction of roads 1979–80 to 1988–89

  Outturn

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Cash

  338

  404

  446

  524

  511

  564

  568

  548

  607

  707

  Constant prices (1993–94)

  829

  838

  845

  925

  863

  907

  866

  810

  853930

  DoT expenditure on new construction of roads 1989–90 to 1997–98

  1989–90 Outturn

  1990–91 Outturn

  1991–92 Outturn

  1992–93 Outturn

  1993–94 Outturn

  1994–95 Outturn

  1995–96 plans

  1996–97 plans

  1997–98 plans

  Cash

  912

  1,269

  1,276

  1,309

  1,344

  1,314

  1,090

  1,027

  980

  Constant prices (1993–94)

  1,122

  1,445

  1,367

  1,349

  1,344

  1,288

  1,035

  951

  888

  The constant prices have been calculated on the latest available GDP deflator using 1993–94 as the baseline.

  Contractors
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those consultant, outside organisations and individuals employed by his Department in each year since 1990, the purposes of their employment and the total payments made to those contractors. [30177]

  Mr. Norris
  I will write to the hon. Member with details and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

  Pollution Report
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Government's response to the Royal Commission on environmental pollution report on transport to be published. [29491]

  Mr. Norris
  Decisions on the Government's response will be taken in the light of the national debate on transport policy initiated by the Secretary of State and outlined in "Transport: The Way ahead", published on 12 June.

  Heathrow
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to resist any attempt by the European Commission to decide directly or indirectly how many aircraft may fly over west London on their way to Heathrow and at what times of day. [29446]

  Mr. Norris
  Yes.

  Emergency Landings
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by airport the number of emergency landings that have taken place in Scotland in the past five years. [30015]

  Mr. Norris
  This information is not held by the Department or by the Civil Aviation Authority.

  Driving Tests (Impersonations)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving tests took place in 1994–95; and what was the estimated number of impersonations that occurred. [30461]
  362
  Mr. Norris
  The number of driving tests that took place in 1994–95 was 1,649,570. A total of 282 possible impersonations were queried. There were 33 convictions.

  Departmental Scientists
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many scientists there are in his Department, listed by grade. [30218]

  Mr. Norris
  According to the Department's personnel information system, my Department, including executive agencies, had 338 staff in either a science grade or science discipline. A breakdown by grade is shown in the following table:

  Grade title

  Staff

  Grade 4

  1

  Grade 5

  4

  Grade 6

  17

  Grade 7

  65

  Senior Professional and Technical Officer (London)

  1

  Senior Professional and Technology Officer

  1

  Senior Scientific Officer

  73

  Higher Executive Officer

  1

  Higher Scientific Officer

  80

  Higher scientific Officer (Development)

  1

  Professional and Technology Officer

  1

  Scientific Officer

  67

  Scientific Officer (London)

  1

  Assistant Scientific Officer

  22

  Sandwich Course Student

  1

  Technical Grade 1

  1

  Technical Grade 2

  1

  Total

  338

  Marchioness Disaster
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what considerations underlay the decision that there should be no public inquiry into the Marchioness disaster in the immediate aftermath of the disaster; and who was responsible for this decision. [29319]

  Mr. Norris
  The power to order a formal investigation into a maritime casualty rests with the Secretary of State for Transport. Following the loss of the Marchioness, Transport Ministers of the day decided that the use of the new powers available under the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 were the most appropriate way of establishing the cause of the tragedy and of identifying what lessons could be learnt to avoid a recurrence. The chief inspector of marine accidents ordered an investigation of the incident,
  363
  the results of which were published as a Marine Accident Investigation Branch report, on 15 August 1991. The report's findings were subsequently endorsed by an inquest jury.

EDUCATION

  Drug Education Programmes
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what drug education programmes in(a) the United Kingdom or (b) elsewhere have resulted in a reduction in drug use. [29308]

  Mr. Forth
  There is some evidence from outside the United Kingdom that information can play a vital part in reducing demand for drugs. For example, research undertaken by the United States' National Institute on Drug Abuse published in 1991 showed that"information, presented in a realistic and credible fashion, plays a vital part in reducing the demand for a drug".

  The Government are clear that education has a key part to play in preventing drug misuse amongst the young. The Office for Standards in Education will undertake a specific study of provision for drug education in schools during the academic year 1995–96 to establish evidence on best practice.

  Directors of Education
  Mr. Barry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 17 May,Official Report, column 240, how many directors of education there will be in Berkshire following the reorganisation of the county. [31074]

  Mr. Forth
  Director of education is a title that some authorities give to their chief advisers on educational issues: chief education officer is another. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend gave to him on 17 May,Official Report, column 240.

  Access Funds
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State what resources will be available for access funds for students in further and higher education institutions in England in 1995–96, and when he proposes to issue new guidance on the use of the funds.

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department is making available £27.733 million for access funds for students in further and higher education in England for 1995–96. This sum is being allocated between the two funding councils for England as follows:

  £ million

  (i) Higher Education Funding Council for England to be allocated as follows:

  21.624

  Undergraduate fund

  15.88

  Postgraduate fund

  5.40

  Further Education fund

  0.34

  (ii) Further Education Funding Council for England

  6.109

  Total

  27.733

  The Department will be writing shortly to the two funding councils with guidance to be given to institutions about allocation and use of the funds for 1995–96.

  Students
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of young people attending university come from homes in which parents earn less than the average industrial wage. [29639]

  Mr. Boswell
  This information is not held centrally.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Davie Inquiry
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the total cost of the Davie inquiry of July 1994. [28933]

  The Attorney-General: The direct costs attributable to the Davie inquiry totalled £18,335.

  War Crimes Act
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to announce decisions about prosecutions under the War Crimes Act 1991. [29259]

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his earlier question on 22 May 1995,Official Report, column 451.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Benefit Payment Card
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the items of data to be held on the benefits card; and what is his estimate of the number of times per year the information on the card will be changed. [29762]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The design of the benefit payment card has not yet been decided.

  It is not envisaged that the card itself will need to be changed other than by replacement due to damage, loss or expiry.

  Home Visits
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 6 June,Official Report, column 114 what financial targets he has set for each benefit office to achieve as a result of home visits. [29908]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  No such targets are set.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what funds are available for local authorities that consider the funding available under regulation 11 is insufficient to meet local needs. [29606]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  No additional funds are available. We believe the current funding arrangements for direct and indirect subsidy for local authorities' expenditure on cases exempt from rent restriction to be fair and reasonable. The arrangements ensure local authorities
  365
  have an incentive to make prudent decisions when considering rent restrictions.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice he plans to issue to claimants and local authorities with special reference to Coventry city council in respect of private landlords charging rents above the current costs of a market rent in relation to the new housing benefit changes. [29598]

  Mr. Evans
  This Department will be publicising the proposed changes to the housing benefit scheme by means of a publicity campaign. The campaign will include a new leaflet aimed at the general public which will be available from post offices and local authorities. Local authorities have already received details of the proposals and will receive further detailed written guidance before the changes come into effect.

  Child Support Agency
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration underlies the authority of the Child Support Agency to charge individuals an annual fee for the review of their cases when no review has been supplied; and if he will make a statement. [28281]

  Mr. Burt
  We accept that the Child Support Agency has not been able to provide an adequate level of service. Fees have, therefore, been suspended for two years until April 1997.

  The assessment fee is not charged for specific actions on a child maintenance assessment; it covers the administration costs of servicing the assessment. For that reason we believe it right that those who use such a service should pay a fee rather than have the cost borne by taxpayers, as would have been the case if the courts and lawyers had been involved.

  Income Support
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were claiming income support in Scotland, Wales and in each of the standard English regions; and how many partners and dependents they had in each of the last five years. [29328]

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

  Income support recipients by country: May 1990

  Thousands

  Country

  Number of claimants

  Number of partners

  Number of dependents

  England

  3,451

  577

  1,793

  Wales

  248

  44

  133

  Scotland

  481

  70

  226

  Total

  4,180

  691

  2,151

  Notes:

  Source: Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry May 1994, Income Support Statistics Annual Statistical Enquiry May 1990-May 1993.

  2. Figures in the tables have ben rounded to the nearest thousand and as a result some of the figures may not tally.

  3. Figures for the standard English regions are not available prior to May 1991.

  4. Dependant include 16 to 18 year olds.
  366

  Income support recipients in England by standard statistical region: May 1991

  English region

  Number of claimants(000s)

  Number of partners (000s)

  Number of dependents (000s)

  North

  296

  51

  173

  North West

  632

  99

  358

  Yorks and Humberside

  421

  74

  252

  East Midlands

  278

  52

  151

  West Midlands

  431

  81

  256

  East Anglia

  126

  23

  55

  South West

  310

  59

  155

  South East (ex London)

  612

  110

  330

  London (Inner and Outer)

  637

  99

  380

  Income Support recipients by country: May 1991

  Country

  Number of claimants (000s)

  Number of partners (000s)

  Number of dependents (000s)

  England

  3,743

  647

  2,110

  Wales

  257

  46

  138

  Scotland

  487

  69

  249

  Total

  4,487

  763

  2,497

  Income Support recipients in England by standard statistical region: May 1992

  English region

  Number of claimants (000s)

  Number of partners (000s)

  Number of dependents (000s)

  North

  318

  55

  183

  North West

  693

  114

  394

  Yorks and Humberside

  463

  80

  269

  East Midlands

  321

  59

  175

  West Midlands

  493

  96

  296

  East Anglia

  143

  29

  71

  South West

  353

  67

  185

  South East (ex London)

  706

  138

  402

  London (Inner and Outer)

  792

  128

  479

  Income support recipients by country: May 1992

  Country

  Number of claimants (000s)

  Number of partners (000s)

  Number of dependents (000s)

  England

  4,282

  766

  2,454

  Wales

  287

  52

  157

  Scotland

  519

  73

  263

  Total

  5,088

  891

  2,874

  Income support recipients in England by standard statistical region: May 1993

  English region

  Number of claimants (000s)

  Number of partners (000s)

  Number of dependents (000s)

  North

  349

  63

  192

  North West

  756

  121

  429

  Yorks and Humberside

  509

  95

  286

  East Midlands

  347

  67

  193

  West Midlands

  552

  112

  332

  East Anglia

  159

  32

  85

  South West

  404

  78

  207

  South East (ex London)

  810

  161

  470

  London (Inner and Outer)

  909

  152

  532

  367

  Income support recipients by country: May 1993

  Country

  Number of claimants (000s)

  Number of partners (000s)

  Number of dependents (000s)

  England

  4,795

  882

  2,725

  Wales

  305

  56

  173

  Scotland

  543

  78

  265

  Total

  5,643

  1,016

  3,163

  Income support recipients in England by standard statistical region: May 1994

  English region

  Number of claimants (000s)

  Number of partners (000s)

  Number of dependents (000s)

  North

  353

  63

  195

  North West

  758

  117

  428

  Yorks and Humberside

  510

  93

  287

  East Midlands

  355

  68

  201

  West Midlands

  550

  111

  333

  East Anglia

  161

  32

  85

  South West

  399

  73

  204

  South East (ex London)

  801

  152

  462

  London (Inner and Outer)

  926

  150

  533

  Income support recipients by country: May 1994

  Country

  Number of claimants (000s)

  Number of partners (000s)

  Number of dependents (000s)

  England

  4,812

  858

  2,748

  Wales

  312

  56

  175

  Scotland

  550

  79

  262

  Total

  5,675

  992

  3,185

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will amend the proposed housing benefit changes to take into consideration the shortage of housing stock and reduced bargaining power of claimants in certain areas. [29599]

  Mr. Evans
  No. Where the tenant is unable to find alternative accommodation or negotiate a lower rent, the local authority will be able to use its discretion to pay above the restricted rent, or encourage the claimant to look for properties in adjoining localities. Furthermore, pre-tenancy determinations will help tenants to get a better indication of the likely rent that housing benefit will meet before they commit themselves to a tenancy.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to make a decision to amend the housing benefit changes in respect of its effect on sheltered and supported housing. [29600]

  Mr. Evans
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has recently received the report of the Social Security Advisory Committee following its public consultation on the proposed changes to housing benefit. We will consider carefully the position of sheltered and supported housing as part of our response to the report.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if local authorities will be given the funding under the new housing benefit procedures to enable local authorities to use their discretion to respond 368
  to local needs to the same extent as currently occur under the regulation 11 payments. [29601]

  Mr. Evans
  The Government consider the level of funding for the new arrangements to be realistic. It will allow local authorities scope to help individual cases of exceptional hardship they consider to be most urgent. For claims made under the new arrangements, it is not expected that local authorities should continue to protect all those cases which would currently satisfy the criteria in regulations to have their rent met in full.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of administration costs resulting from the proposed housing benefit changes being implemented. [29602]

  Mr. Evans
  An estimate of the total administration costs has still to be completed.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Business Grants Advisory Group
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about the Liverpool-based Business Grants Advisory Group; what steps he will take, through business links and local authorities, to ensure that companies, and small business in particular, are aware that the information sold by the Business Grants Advisory Group is available free of charge from Government agencies; whether his Department will initiate inquires into this practice; and if he will make a statement. [29899]

  Mr. Page
  My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has received no representations about the Business Grants Advisory Group (Liverpool) Ltd.

  The wide range of free or low-cost services to business offered by business links and local authorities is widely publicised, and includes advice on finding grants and soft funding. Private sector consultancies also offer this advice. The Department will always investigate well-founded complaints, but cannot interfere with legitimate business activity. Businesses are free to choose which advisory services they will use.

  Government office for Merseyside has written to Liverpool city council and to all business links and chambers on Merseyside and in the north-west asking them to advise businesses of the availability of free advice on grants and funding through business links. The Association of British Chambers of Commerce has advised all chambers to remind their members that free advice in this field is readily available, and Merseyside chamber has done this.

  Contractors
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many Government-owned, contractor-managed, establishments are covered by his Department. [30212]

  Mr. Heseltine
  None.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the contractors bidding for the scientific establishment which his Department has put out to tender. [30214]
  369
  Mr. Heseltine
  Members of the two consortia currently bidding for the contract to provide research services to DTI at the National Physical Laboratory are:

  (a) W. S. Atkins, SIRA and Scientific Generics

  (b) Serco, AEA Technology and Loughborough University of Technology

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how long the management contracts are for Government-owned, contractor-managed establishments(a) in general and (b) for the National Physical Laboratory. [30213]

  Mr. Heseltine
  The duration of management contracts for Government-owned, contractor-operated establishments varies widely. The duration of the contract for provision of research services at the National Physical Laboratory is under discussion with the shortlisted bidders.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many contracts have been tendered for and won by(a) W. S. Atkins and (b) Serco since 1990. [30221]

  Mr. Heseltine
  My Department does not keep a central record of all contracts tendered for and awarded to individual companies. An exercise to establish how many contracts have been tendered for and won by W. S. Atkins and Serco since 1990 would incur disproportionate costs.

  Military List
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licences were(a) applied for and (b) granted under the military list between 1986 and 1989. [29162]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The required information' is as follows:

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Applications received

  16,847

  17,590

  15,697

  14,601

  Licences granted

  2—

  16,745

  316,005

  13,584

  Notes:

  1 The figures include all applications for licences for equipment classified under Group 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order. This includes all goods classified "ML", for 1989, it also includes goods classified "PL" in Group 1 of the Order.

  2 For 1986, separate figures were not kept for applications granted and refused. The provision of this information would incur disproportionate costs.

  3 The figures make it appear that more licences were issued in 1988 than the number of applications received. This is because the licensing process always carries over from year to the next. Hence some of the licences issued in one year will have been received in the previous year.

  1. The corresponding figures for all export licences received (including those for the military goods listed above) for the period in question are:

  1986: 89,705

  1987: 97,842

  1988: 92,280

  1989: 75,952

  Company Directors (Misconduct)
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many unfit conduct reports pursuant to the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 were 370
  submitted by official receivers and were rejected for not being evidentially strong enough in each of the last three years. [29187]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The number of unfit conduct reports submitted by official receivers and not proceeded with were:

  Financial year

  Total Submitted without full report

  Total Submitted with full report

  Total not proceeded with

  1992–93

  2,536

  121

  32

  1993–94

  3,425

  107

  13

  1994–95

  2,281

  244

  26

  The number of reports not proceeded with relates only to those submitted as a full report, some of which would have been submitted in the previous financial year. It also includes those where there were parallel criminal proceedings, the bankruptcy of the potential respondent or the discovery of evidence which would refute or mitigate the allegation of misconduct.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many unfit conduct reports pursuant to the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 were submitted by insolvency practitioners and were rejected for not being evidentially strong enough in each of the last three years. [29188]

  Mr. Evans
  The number of unfit conduct reports submitted by insolvency practitioners and not proceeded with were:

  Financial year

  Total submitted

  Total not proceeded with

  1992–93

  3,901

  3,320

  1993–94

  3,727

  3,604

  1994–95

  3,147

  3,032

  The number not proceeded with cannot be related to:

  (i) those reports submitted in that year because in some 25 to 30 per cent. of cases decisions following investigation will be taken in the next accounting period, and

  (ii) the number of reports accepted for further investigation, because some are not proceeded with subsequently because of parallel criminal proceedings, the bankruptcy of the potential respondent or the discovery of evidence which would refute or mitigate the allegation of misconduct.

  Contracting Out
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those parts of his Department or departmental agencies which were privatised without an in-house bid; if he will indicate the expertise which was absent in his Department or departmental agencies which prevented an in-house bid taking place; which future parts of his Department or departmental agencies he intends to privatise; and which of them do not have the necessary in-house expertise to mount an in-house bid. [29418]

  Mr. Heseltine
  The following areas of work have been contracted out without an in-house bid under the "Competing for Quality" programme:

  (i) 1992–93

  Press Notice Distribution

  Offshore Focus Magazine

  Gas and Oil Measurement Branch Security

  Database Maintenance

  Photographic Service (National Physical Laboratory)

  371

  (ii) 1993–94

  Stationary Supply

  Translation

  Various Support Services (Patent Office)

  (iii) 1994–95

  Accounts Services Agency

  Ships Radio Licensing (Radiocommunications Agency)

  Decisions to contract out without an in-house bid have been taken where the private sector was clearly better-equipped to deliver a specific service, has had a better understanding of market needs, or has had the capacity to invest in new technology. Such decisions have also been taken when the activity has been relatively small and peripheral to my Department's core functions. In each case overall value for money has been assessed through comparing the quality and cost of bids against a benchmark of continuing in-house provision which includes planned efficiency and quality of service improvements. Information on an individual test basis can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Work is under way to contract out the following in 1995–96 without an in-house bid:

  Building Management Services

  The National Physical Laboratory

  Companies House:

  London Office and Satellites

  Edinburgh Office

  Cardiff Office—range of activities

  The Insolvency Service:

  Official Receivers' Administrative Functions

  Patent Office:

  Various support services

  Radiocommunications Agency:

  Various support services

  Of course, staff are always free to make bids on a staff buy-out basis alongside other bidders, taking the work into the private sector. For example, there was a management bid on this basis for the Accounts Services Agency.

  Output and Employment
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the effect of membership of the EC on output and employment in(a) the United Kingdom cotton textile industry, (b) the United Kingdom bus and coach industry and (c) the United Kingdom pottery industry; and what has been the change since 1970 in the volume of United Kingdom output, imports from and exports to the EC Six, in import penetration from the EC, and in the numbers employed in the industry. [29440]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  My Department has made no such estimate. Consistent information from 1970 is not readily available and can be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effect EU membership has had on output and employment in(a) the United Kingdom wool industry, (b) the United
  372
  Kingdom carpet industry, (c) the United Kingdom motor car industry and (d) the United Kingdom commercial vehicle industry; and if he will show in respect of each the change from 1970 in (i) the volume of United Kingdom output and (ii) imports from and exports to (1) the EC Six and (2) other EC countries, (3) import penetration from the EC and elsewhere and (4) the numbers employed in the industry. [29944]

  Mr. Taylor
  My Department has made no such estimate. Consistent information from 1970 is not readily available and can be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  Import Penetration
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what has been the percentage change in import penetration of the United Kingdom market for manufactures less food, drink and tobacco since 1971; and to what extent it is due to (i) the reduction in the tariff, (ii) the removal of tariff protection against EC countries and (iii) the monetary and exchange rate policies of successive United Kingdom Governments; [29979]

  (2) if he will publish for each year since 1970 his estimate of import penetration of the United Kingdom market for manufactures less food, drink, tobacco, printing and publishing. [29980]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The import penetration levels requested can be calculated only at disproportionate cost. My Department has made no assessment of the specific factors listed. However, the rising share of imports in the United Kingdom market for manufactures reflects a number of influences, including the increasing specialisation of world trade.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to reduce the share of imports in the United Kingdom market for manufactures; and over what time scale. [29949]

  Mr. Taylor
  The best way United Kingdom businesses can increase market share at home is by continually improving their competitiveness. The competitiveness White Paper,. "Forging Ahead" identifies areas where the Government have helped, for example, by stimulating enterprise and innovation and by encouraging best practice in quality, design and management. Discrimination against imports jeopardises the UK's export successes.

  Brent Spar
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what analysis or assessment(a) his Department or (b) any other Government Department or agency has made of the contents of the Brent Spar storage unit; what was the result of that analysis or assessment; and if he will publish the results of those analyses or assessment; [30247]

  (2) what inspections, analysis or assessment of the contents of the Brent Spar storage unit were made in the last 10 years by (a) his Department or (b) any other Government Department or agency; what were the results of these inspections, assessments or analyses; and if he will publish them in full. [30246]

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government accepted Shell's proposal that deep-sea disposal of the Brent Spar was the best
  373
  practicable environmental option. That judgment was reached after a comparative assessment of the options which took into account many factors including information on the contents of the installation. The abandonment programme contains a detailed inventory of the equipment and materials on board. Scottish Office officials who visited the Spar on 3 and 4 June verified that cleaning operations had been performed to the standard required.

  Trading Standards Officers
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many trading standard officers were employed(a) for each year since 1979 and (b) at the latest available date. [28586]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Information provided to my Department by local weights and measures authorities in England, Wales and Scotland indicates that since 1987–88 the number of qualified trading standards officers has been as follows:

  1987–88: 1,454

  1988–89: 1,438

  1989–90: 1,456

  1990–91: 1,504

  1991–92: 1,548

  1992–93: 1,598

  1993–94: 1,637

  Figures for preceding years are not readily available.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many trainee trading standards officers there were(a) for each year since 1979 and (b) for the latest available date. [28587]

  Mr. Evans
  Information provided to my Department by the local government management board indicates that numbers of trainee trading standards officers registered in each year since 1987 were as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1987

  98

  1988

  105

  1989

  102

  1990

  90

  1991

  91

  1992

  74

  1993

  36

  1994

  32

  1995

  24

  In addition, there were 24 graduates in the BSC honours consumer protection degree in 1994, of whom 15 are now in the process of becoming fully qualified trading standards officers.

  Figures for the preceding years are not readily available.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the change in numbers of trainee trading standards officers since the end of the incentive training scheme for trading standards officers. [28588]

  Mr. Evans
  The Government are committed to a trading standards service which functions effectively and 374
  efficiently. It is for individual local authorities to ensure that numbers of qualified staff are sufficient to provide adequate levels of service in their respective areas and to make budgetary decisions which will reflect that need.

  In response to concerns about staffing levels my Department encouraged and supported the introduction of a grant scheme for trainee trading standards officers which began in 1987–488. The decision not to extend the term of this scheme beyond 1991 was taken by the local government management board on behalf of the local authority associations. Since that decision, total numbers of qualified staff have steadily increased from about 1,500 in 1990–91 to more than 1,630 in 1993–94.

  Mines Rescue Service
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the future of the mines rescue service following the abolition of British Coal. [29900]

  Mr. Page
  At my Department's request, British Coal has established a working group on mines rescue to act as a forum for the coal industry to develop its plans for the future ownership and management of the mines rescue service. The working group also contains representatives from Government.

  Coal
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the amount of subsidy paid in respect of deep mined coal as outlined in "Prospects for Coal", the number of tonnes this reflects, the number of individual contracts involved and outstanding bids waiting the approval of the European Commission. [29901]

  Mr. Page
  Since the coal subsidy was announced in March 1993, 10 offers have been made. To date, £12,776,193 has been paid in respect of almost 1 million tonnes of coal delivered since April 1993. One application, which was received just before the scheme ended on 31 March 1995, is currently being considered.

  European Commission approval for payments in respect of production in 1993 was given in Commission decision C(94)883 of 29 March 1994. Approval for payments in respect of production the financial year 1994/95 was given in Commission decision C(94)1436 of 1 June 1994.

  Businesses
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's definition of a small business and a medium-sized business. [29563]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: There is no single, official definition of what constitutes a small firm. There is, however, a wide range of definitions used in practice, each valid in its own context.

  Eligibility for the annual SMART competition—small firms merit award for research—is limited to firms with a maximum of 50 employees. Eligibility under the loan guarantee scheme, however, is determined by both turnover and employee numbers and these vary from sector to sector. Generally, eligibility is limited to firms with fewer than 200 employees, except in the construction

  375
  sector where the limit is 25. In the manufacturing sector the turnover ceiling is £3 million whereas in the service sector it is £500,000.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many(a) small businesses and (b) medium-sized businesses were started up in each of the last 10 years; and if he will break these figures down by region and by gender of entrepreneur. [29564]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The number of businesses stated up in Great Britain is available from 1988 onwards and given in the table. Almost all business start-ups are small. Information on start-ups by gender is not available for each year in the table. Research carried out for Barclays bank suggests that of the businesses started up in 1994, nearly three out of 10 were started by women.

  The best guide to trends in the number of businesses started up by region is given by registrations for VAT. Copies of "VAT Registrations and Deregistrations, County and District Analyses "1980–1991", and "VAT Registrations and Deregistrations, County and District Analyses 1992–1993" are in the Library of the House.

  Number of business start-ups 1988–1994 in Great Britain

  Year

  Starts (thousands)

  1988

  422

  1989

  447

  1990

  444

  1991

  374

  1992

  364

  1993

  405

  1994

  446

  Source: Barclays Economics Department.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people were employed by(a) small businesses and (b) medium-sized businesses in each of the last 10 years; and if he will break these figures down by region and gender. [29565]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The number of people employed in businesses of different sizes are given in the table below. The figures are available for some of the last 10 years only. Although there is no official definition of what constitutes a small firm, the usual practice in statistical analyses is to consider firms with fewer than 100 employees small, and those with between 100 and 499 employees medium sized. There is no breakdown of these figures by region or gender.

  Number employed by size of business, UK 1986–1991, thousands

  Year

  Small (under 100 employees)

  Medium (100–499 employees)

  Large (500+ employees)

  All

  1986

  9,600

  3,300

  6,900

  19,800

  1988

  10,400

  3,600

  7,200

  21,300

  1989

  11,300

  3,300

  7,300

  21,900

  1990

  11,100

  3,600

  7,000

  21,700

  1991

  10,500

  3,400

  6,700

  20,600

  Source: NatWest Review of Small Business Trends, June 1993, June 1994.

  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which sectors of the economy(a) small businesses and (b) medium-sized businesses are predominantly to be found. [29566]
  376
  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The numbers of businesses of different sizes in each industry division are given in the table. Although there is no official definition of what constitutes a small firm, the usual practice in statistical analyses is to consider firms with fewer than 100 employees small; and those with between 100 and 499 employees medium sized.

  Number of businesses by employee size class by sector, 1991 UK, number of businesses

  Industry (SIC80)

  Small (under 100 employees)

  Medium (100–499 employees)

  Large (500+employees)

  All

  All sectors1

  2,505,463

  16,090

  2,753

  2,524,306

  Energy and water supply

  2,432

  104

  67

  2,603

  Extraction

  15,477

  498

  209

  16,184

  Metal manufacture

  95,353

  1,739

  470

  97,562

  Other manufacturing

  175,853

  1,739

  474

  178,066

  Construction

  541,646

  664

  123

  542,433

  Distribution, hotels and catering

  654,123

  6,721

  567

  661,411

  Transport and communication

  146,042

  650

  90

  146,782

  Banking and finance

  377,351

  1,617

  450

  379,418

  Other services

  497,186

  2,358

  303

  499,847

  1 Excludes Agriculture, forestry and fishing.

  Source: Enterprises in Europe, Third Report.

  Crown Immunity
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all areas within(a) his Department, (b) agencies under his Department's control and (c) organisations for which he has ministerial responsibility to which Crown immunity applies; what consideration he has given to removing this; and if he will make a statement. [28658]

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 15 June 1995]: An Act of Parliament is presumed not to bind the Crown unless the contrary intention is clearly stated, or there is a necessary implication that the Crown is to be bound. Ministers and civil servants will not necessarily share the Crown's immunity from criminal prosecution.

  The Government's policy on Crown immunity, as set out in CM1599—"The Citizen's Charter—Raising the Standard"—is that Crown immunity is being progressively reduced, as legislative opportunities arise. In the meantime, Crown bodies are expected to behave as though they were bound by regulations.

  Detailed information on the circumstances where Crown immunity does not apply is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DEFENCE

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about defence agency status for the Defence Codification Authority. [30865]

  Mr. Soames
  The Defence Codification Authority is part of RAF Logistics Command, and is responsible for the information and direction of MOD codification policy,
  377
  and the sponsorship and control of codification quality assurance services. It has been decided that the authority is to be considered for defence agency status under the next steps procedures. An entry to this effect will appear in the July 1995 edition of the "Market Testing Bulletin."

  Mr. Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key performance targets have been set for the chief executive of the Meteorological Office executive agency for the financial year 1995–96. [30866]

  Mr. Soames
  The agency has been set a range of quality, financial and efficiency targets to ensure that it delivers progressive improvements in the provision of weather-related services. In addition, the agency is to achieve trading fund status on 1 April 1996.

  The key quality targets set for the Meteorological Office during the financial year 1995–96 are to achieve 80 per cent. of the designated business plan external targets for customer satisfaction, forecast accuracy and timeliness; and to attain an average accuracy over the United Kingdom of at least 84 per cent. for the 24-hour national weather forecasts broadcast at 17.55 hours by BBC Radio 4.

  The financial targets are to deliver the agreed Meteorological Office programme within a business plan cash limit of £78,300,000; to reduce net expenditure, as shown in the annual report and accounts, to £90,300,000, representing a decrease of 2.6 per cent. on the 1994–95 budget, both at 1994–95 prices; and to provide a net contribution to the agency's core costs and general overheads of £3,800,000 from commercial services to the public, industry and commerce excluding the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of the Environment.

  Individual areas of the Meteorological Office have been set targets to increase efficiency by between 1 and 3 per cent. mainly through improvements in quality and volume of services and reduced unit output costs.

  Training Land
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the areas of land in Scotland not owned or leased by his Department, which are currently available to the armed services for training under licence agreements with the owners. [29073]

  Mr. Soames
  At present, there are 12 areas of land in Scotland where my Department holds military training rights under licence agreements. These are as follows:

  Binn Hill, Perthshire

  Blair Adam (Tayside)

  Galloway

  Kinlochleven (Lochaber)

  Tighnablair (Tayside)

  Hopsprigg (Dumfries and Galloway)

  Castle Kennedy (Stranraer)

  Ardgarten (Strathclyde)

  Balduff (Tayside)

  Tullymurdoch (Tayside)

  Fyall Farm (Tayside)

  Blackhall (Tayside)

  378
  In addition, there are other areas of land where my Department has agreements with private landowners to cover specific short-term requirements. In the last financial year, there were 356 such agreements.

  Environmental Information
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications for information have been made to his Department under the environmental information resolutions since their entry into force; what was the total number of different applicants making the applications; in how many of these cases information was provided; what was the average total assessed cost of meeting each application; and what was the average cost charged to the applicant. [29082]

  Mr. Soames
  We have received six such requests for information since the regulations came into effect, and information has been provided in each case. The cost incurred by my Department in meeting the applications has amounted to less than £50 in each case. No charges have been levied for the information that has been provided, though in one case a request for more detailed information was withdrawn after a warning of charges.

  Chinook Crash, 2 June 1994
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the date of the Chinook helicopter disaster at the Mull of Kintrye, Scotland; how many military police and civilian personnel lost their lives in this disaster; what compensation has been paid to the families of the victims; when he expects payment of compensation to be completed; and if he will make a statement about the basis of compensation to be paid to the dependants of those killed. [28982]

  Mr. Soames
  Twenty nine people were killed in this tragic accident on 2 June 1994. The position on compensation was explained in the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Walker) by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 15 June,Official Report, column 597.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying incidents were reported in(a) Wales, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [28482]

  Mr. Soames
  The number of inquiries and complaints received by my Department about military low flying in each of the last three years are as follows:

  Year

  England

  Wales

  Scotland

  1United Year Kingdom

  1992

  4,401

  904

  990

  6,295

  1993

  4,141

  556

  1,041

  5,738

  1994

  4,072

  617

  1,089

  5,778

  1 The figure for the United Kingdom excludes Northern Ireland where most low flying is of an operational nature, with only a limited number of training sorties. Complaints arising from this activity are dealt with locally, and no central record is available of the number received.

  379
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department has taken to monitor and deal with incidents of low flying by military aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [28483]

  Mr. Soames
  All complaints and inquiries about military low flying are recorded and examined and, when appropriate, a written response is given.

  Where there is sufficient evidence to suggest that a breach of military flying regulations may have occurred, the details are passed to the RAF police for investigation. On completion, the RAF police report is, where appropriate, passed to the commanding officer of the aircrew concerned for consideration as to what further action may be necessary and what can be learnt from the incident. In each case, the complainant is provided with the conclusions and a summary of the findings of the report.

  My Department will pay compensation where a reasonable connection can be established between military aircraft activity and any loss, injury or damage sustained.

  Captured Service Men
  Sir Keith Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what briefing and instructions are given to service men who may be captured or taken hostage about their response to their captors and the media. [29338]

  Mr. Soames
  In the event of capture by an enemy, service personnel are instructed to follow article 17 of the Geneva convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War 1949 and reveal their name, rank, serial number and date of birth to their captors. They are also trained to respond to further questioning without releasing any useful information or allowing themselves to be exploited for propaganda purposes. Queen's regulations forbid service personnel from responding to approaches from the media without authorisation.

  Nuclear Tests
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his(a) United States counterpart and (b) French counterpart concerning the development of simulations systems to replace nuclear tests; and if he will make a statement. [30041]

  Mr. Freeman
  In the absence of underground testing, we intend to develop further a range of experimental techniques and facilities for the stewardship of our nuclear weapons stockpile, including above ground experiments, lasers and computer simulation. This work will be undertaken in continuing co-operation with the United States. Discussions have also been held with French authorities on issues relating to nuclear weapons stewardship.

  Dartmouth Naval College
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost per officer at the Dartmouth naval college; how many officers pass through Dartmouth naval college each year; and which Royal Navy training facilities are situated in Dartmouth. [30043]

  Mr. Soames
  This is a matter for the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
  380
  Letter from J. P. Clarke to Dr. David Clark, dated 22 June 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Defence has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question, about the training of young Royal Naval officers at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in my capacity as Chief Executive of the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency.
  On entry to Dartmouth for Naval General Training, Young Naval Officers undertake 16 weeks shore-based training followed by a further 8 weeks of sea-based training, all of which is administered by the College. Following a further 8 months training in the Fleet, non-graduate entry Officers return to the College for an Academic course lasting some 24 weeks. The College is resourced for a training capacity of 460 (including Medical Dental, Special Duties and International Officers) which gives a cost per trainee day of £229.00 for the Naval General Training Course and £149.00 per day for the Academics Course.
  You will also wish to be aware that the Agency is developing initiatives with private industry and academic institutions to market the unallocated irreducible training capacity which is caused by fluctuating recruiting levels reflected in the figures quoted below. These initiatives will generate enduring income streams, thereby reducing the overall costs of the College.
  Over the last two years the officer training throughput has reduced in line with lower recruiting targets. From 1995 onwards higher recruiting targets will, however, increase trainee throughput to the level of the College's resourced capacity.
  The College's officer training throughput since 1991 is as follows:

  1991: 554

  1992: 465

  1993: 369

  1994: 220

  1995: 240*

  1996: 298*

  The above figures include RN Officers of Seaman, Engineer, Supply and Secretariat, Instructor, Medical, Dental, Chaplaincy and Special Duties specialisations in addition to international officers from Foreign and Commonwealth Navies. The figures marked by an asterisk denote predicted throughput figures.
  Seamanship training is provided at BRNC's Sandquay facility and the College's proximity to Dartmoor is utilised for leadership training activities.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Chemical and Biological Weapons (Russia)
  Mr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of Russia's(a) biological and (b) chemical capabilities; and if he will make a statement. [30042]

  Mr. Soames
  Russia inherited offensive chemical and biological warfare capabilities from the former Soviet Union. Her Majesty's Government place a high priority on confirming the elimination of the former Soviet programmes in accordance with the biological and toxin weapons convention and the chemical weapons convention; we are pursuing this objective through discussions with Russia and in multilateral arms control negotiations.

  Trident
  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what review he is undertaking of the decision of June 1993 to award the refitting of Trident submarines to Devonport Management Ltd. and if he will make a statement. [30045]
  381
  Mr. Freeman
  We have no plans to revisit the decision taken in 1993 that future refitting of nuclear powered submarines will be undertaken at Devonport.

  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if a contract has been signed between his Department and Devonport Management. Lltd. for the refitting of Trident submarines; [30018]

  (2) when a contract will be signed between his Department and Devonport Management Ltd. for the refitting of Trident submarines following the decision of June 1993; and if he will make a statement. [30044]

  Mr. Freeman
  No contract has yet been awarded for the construction of the Trident refitting facilities at Devonport. Negotiations with Devonport Management Ltd. are continuing with a view to completing the process by the end of the summer.

  Table A

  Year (1 April)

  Home Counties

  London and South East

  Midlands

  North West

  Scotland

  Wales and South West

  Yorkshire and North East

  Total

  1991

  116.5

  118

  167

  116.5

  90

  101

  132

  841

  1992

  135.5

  124.5

  176.5

  119.9

  97

  112

  126.5

  891.5

  1993

  132

  117.5

  182.5

  117

  102.5

  107

  133

  891.5

  1994

  136.5

  126

  182.5

  125

  103.5

  97.5

  127.5

  898.5

  1995

  119

  116

  165

  112.5

  94

  97.5

  123

  827

  Note:

  1 April 1995 figure reflects the immediate effects of an early retirement exercise. A new recruitment campaign is intended to restore the total number of inspectors in FOD to around previous levels.

  Table B

  Year (1 April)

  South Yorkshire

  North Yorkshire

  Scottish and North Eastern

  Wales and South Eastern

  South West

  North Midlands

  Total

  1991

  6

  6

  2

  7

  6

  6

  33

  Year (1 April)

  Central

  Northern

  Western

  Southern

  Total

  1992

  6

  8

  7

  6

  27

  1993

  —

  9

  4

  5

  18

  1994

  —

  7

  5

  5

  17

  Year (1 April)

  Scotland and East England

  Wales and West England

  Total

  1995

  10

  5

  15

  Note:
  Mines Central and Northern Districts merged 1 April 1993.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the year-on-year change in employment in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) the United States of America, (d) Germany and (e) Japan, for each year since 1979. [28119]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Information showing the levels of employment in France, the United States, western Germany and Japan is published in OECD labour force statistics, 1972–92 and OECD quarterly labour force statistics no. 1, 1995. Copies of these publications are

  Health and Safety Inspectors
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many health and safety inspectors were in post in each region in each of the last five years. [29359]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Table A shows the number of health and safety inspectors employed in the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division regions. The figures comprise factory inspectors, agricultural inspectors, specialist inspectors and quarries inspectors. Table B shows the number of mines inspectors in the Mines Inspectorate, which is organised in districts. The figures are for the 1 April for each year. They do not include HSE inspectors working in nationally organised inspectorates; nor inspectors employed by other enforcing authorities.

  available in the Library. The latest available information for the United Kingdom which may differ from that printed in these publications is shown in the table:

  Total civilian employment1 in the United Kingdom at June of each year: year-on-year changes 1979–1994

  Year

  Thousands

  1979–80

  -57

  1980–81

  -972

  1981–82

  -429

  1982–83

  -281

  1983–84

  648

  1984–85

  285

  1985–86

  29

  1986–87

  560

  1987–88

  855

  1988–89

  804

  1989–90

  270

  1990–91

  -880

  1991–92

  -530

  1992––93

  -364

  1993–94

  37

  1 Unadjusted for seasonal variation.

  Food Manufacturing Industry (Accidents)
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many reportable accidents have occurred in the food manufacturing industry in each region in each of the last five years. [29357]
  383
  Mr. Opppenheim
  The information requested is given in the table:

  Injuries to workers1 in the food manufacturing industry2 as reported to the health and safety executives's (HSE's) field operations division inspectorates and local authorities

  HSE region

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Wales and South West

  1,064

  1,155

  1,224

  1,245

  1,115

  Home Counties

  2,350

  2,041

  2,124

  1,946

  1,853

  London and South East

  1,087

  1,007

  898

  790

  761

  Midlands

  2,602

  2,484

  2,344

  2,172

  2,122

  Yorkshire and North East

  2,673

  2,688

  2,764

  2,530

  2,188

  North West

  2,051

  1,909

  1,871

  1,860

  1,676

  Scotland

  1,165

  1,196

  1,053

  952

  853

  1 The term workers relates to employees (including trainees) and the self-employed.

  2 As defined by Standard Industrial Classification 1980 activity headings 4115 to 4239.

  Data shown in the table prior to 1990–91 excludes reports made to the Quarries Inspectorate.

  Training
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has to amend the budgeting system for training courses for areas where there is high long-term unemployment. [29717]

  Mr. Paice
  Training for work is the main programme for adults out of work for a long time or at a disadvantage. The budget for the programme is distributed to training and enterprise councils by reference to the numbers of long-term unemployed, past levels of expenditure and performance in securing outcomes for participants. Budgets are also subject to negotiations between Government offices and individual TECs.

  South Thames TEC
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the total bill of his Department to the administrative receiver of South Thames TEC; and what assessment he has made of its impact on the other creditors' prospects of debt recovery. [29625]

  Mr. Paice
  The Department estimates that it is owed £8.48 million by South Thames training and enterprise council and has presented the receiver with a bill to that effect. The Department is a secured creditor under the terms of its debenture. Until the receiver has completed his work, it will not be possible to assess the impact of the Department's bill on the prospects for unsecured creditors recovering money owed them.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the administrative cost for(a) the preparation for the implementation of the jobseeker's allowance and (b) the actual implementation of the jobseeker's allowance. [29727]
  384
  Miss Widdecombe
  Initial estimates of the one-off administrative costs of implementing the jobseeker's allowance, including both preparation and actual implementation, and the back-to-work bonus were £280 million over the period 1995–96 to 1997–98. This figure is currently being reviewed, following the decision to defer the full operation of JSA to October 1996.

  Workplace Accidents (Children)
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of surveys and official statistics on the number of school-age children involved in accidents while in paid employment in each year since 1985. [30287]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The survey reports of which I am aware are unrepresentative of the country as a whole and inadequately distinguish between serious accidents which should be reported to the enforcing authorities and minor cuts and bruises.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what statistics are available concerning the number of accidents to school-age children involved in paid employment in the years 1992–93 and 1993–94. [30288]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The tables show injuries to employed people aged under 16 reported to the Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates and to local authorities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985:

  Injuries to employees1 aged under 16 reported to HSE's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates and Local Authorities, 1992–93 and 1993–94 by industry

  Industry

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Agriculture

  10

  5

  Manufacturing

  2

  10

  Construction

  3

  4

  Wholesale distribution

  —

  1

  Retail distribution

  9

  4

  Hotels and catering

  3

  2

  Repair of consumer goods and vehicles

  1

  —

  Transport and communication

  —

  —

  Banking, finance and business services

  —

  1

  Other services

  7

  7

  Unclassified

  1

  —

  Total

  36

  34

  Injuries to employees1 aged under 16 reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates and local authorities, 1992–93 and 1993–94 by severity of injury

  Year

  Fatal

  Major2

  Over 3 day3

  Total

  1992–93

  1

  11

  24

  36

  1993–94

  1

  16

  17

  34

  Total

  2

  27

  41

  70

  Notes:

  1 including trainees.

  2 as defined in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985, and including injuries which require a stay in hospital of over 24 hours.

  3 injuries which cause absence from work for more than three days.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how his Department(a) collects and (b) collates information and statistics concerning the incidence of accidents to children in paid employment who are of school-leaving age. [30289]
  385
  Mr. Oppenheim
  Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985, employers have a duty to report to the relevant enforcing authority injuries, arising out of work activity, to employees of all ages. The relevant authority may be either the Health and Safety Executive or the local authority.

  Reports made to HSE are collated and held centrally. Information from reports made to local authorities is submitted annually to HSE on a voluntary basis and aggregated with the reports made direct to HSE.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information is available for each year since 1985 concerning children involved in accidents while in paid(a) agricultural and (b) horticultural employment; [30286]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The table shows injuries to employees aged under 16 reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 in each year for which reliable figures are available. The figure in brackets show the only injury reported in Wales.

  Injuries to employees1 aged under 16 in agriculture and horticulture2 reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates and local authorities, from 1987–88 to 1993–94—by severity of injury

  Year

  Fatal

  Major3

  Over 3 day3

  Total

  1987–88

  1

  8

  5

  14

  1988–89

  —

  1

  1

  2

  1989–90

  —

  5

  4

  9

  1990–91

  —

  1

  4

  5

  1991–92

  —

  1

  —

  1

  1992–93

  —

  6

  4(1)

  10(1)

  1993–94

  1

  3

  1

  5

  Notes:

  1 Including trainees.

  2 As defined by Standard Industrial Classification 01

  3 As defined in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985, and including injuries which require a stay in hospital of over 24 hours.

  4 Injuries which cause absence from work for more than three days.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what assessment has been made of surveys and official statistics on the number of school-age children in Wales involved in accidents while engaged in paid(a) agricultural and (b) horticultural employment in each year since 1985; [30285]

  (2) what assessment has been made of surveys and official statistics on the number of school-age children in Wales involved in accidents while engaged in paid (a) agricultural and (b) horticultural employment in each year since 1985. [30283]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The survey reports of which I am aware are unrepresentative of Wales and the country as a whole and inadequately distinguish serious accidents which should be reported to the enforcing authorities from minor cuts and bruises.
  386
  The official statistics show that one injury was reported in Wales in the period, from 1987–88 to 1993–94, for which reliable figures are —available.

  International Labour Organisation Conventions
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those International Labour Organisation conventions which the United Kingdom has signed and the year of signature. [30228]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is shown in the table:

  ILO conventions ratified by the United Kingdom

  Number

  Date of ratification

  2 Unemployment, 1919

  1921

  4 Night Work (Women), 19191

  1921

  5 Minimum Age (Industry), 1919

  1921

  6 Night Work of Young Persons (Industry), 19191

  1921

  7 Minimum Age (Sea), 1920

  1921

  8 Unemployment Indemnity (Shipwreck), 1920

  1926

  10 Minimum Age (Agriculture), 1921

  1963

  11 Right of Association (Agriculture), 1921

  1923

  12 Workmen's Compensation (Agriculture), 1921

  1923

  15 Minimum Age (Trimmers and Stokers), 1921

  1926

  16 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Sea), 1921

  1926

  17 Workmen's Compensation (Accidents), 1925

  1949

  18 Workmen's Compensation (Occupational Diseases), 19251

  1926

  19 Equality of Treatment (Accident Compensation), 1925

  1926

  21 Inspection of Emigrants, 1926

  1927

  22 Seamen's Articles of Agreement, 1926

  1929

  23 Repatriation of Seamen, 1926

  1985

  24 Sickness Insurance (Industry), 1927

  1931

  25 Sickness Insurance (Agriculture), 1927

  1931

  26 Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery, 19281

  1929

  29 Forced Labour, 1930

  1931

  32 Protection Against Accidents (Dockers) (Revised), 1932

  1935

  35 Old-Age Insurance (Industry etc), 1933

  1936

  36 Old-Age Insurance (Agriculture), 1933

  1936

  37 Invalidity Insurance (Industry, etc), 1933

  1936

  38 Invalidity Insurance (Agriculture), 1933

  1936

  39 Survivors' Insurance (Industry, etc), 1933

  1936

  40 Survivors' Insurance (Agriculture), 1933

  1936

  41 Night Work (Women) (Revised), 19341

  1937

  42 Workmen's Compensation (Occupational Diseases) (Revised), 1934

  1936

  43 Sheet-Glass Works, 19341

  1937

  44 Unemployment Provision, 1934

  1936

  45 Underground Work (Women), 19351

  1936

  50 Recruiting of Indigenous Workers, 1936

  1939

  56 Sickness Insurance (Sea), 1936

  1944

  63 Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 19381

  1947

  64 Contracts of Employment (Indigenous Workers), 1939

  1943

  65 Penal Sanctions (Indigenous Workers), 1939

  1943

  68 Food and Catering (Ships' Crews), 1946

  1953

  69 Certification of Ships' Cooks, 1946

  1949

  70 Social Security (Seafarers), 1946

  1953

  74 Certification of Able Seamen, 1946

  1952

  80 Final Articles Revision, 1946

  1947

  81 Labour Inspection, 1947

  1949

  387

  Date

  82 Social Policy (Non-Metropolitan Territories), 1947

  1950

  83 Labour Standards (Non-Metropolitan Territories), 1947

  1950

  84 Right of Association (Non-Metropolitan Territories), 1947

  1950

  85 Labour Inspectorates (Non-Metropolitan Territories), 1947

  1950

  86 Contracts of Employment (Indigenous Workers), 1947

  1950

  87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, 1948

  1949

  88 Employment Service, 19481

  1949

  92 Accommodation of Crews (Revised), 1949

  1953

  94 Labour Clauses (Public Contracts), 19491

  1950

  95 Protection of Wages, 19491

  1951

  97 Migration for Employment (Revised), 1949

  1951

  98 Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, 1949

  1950

  99 Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery (Agriculture), 19491

  1953

  100 Equal Remuneration, 1951

  1971

  101 Holidays with Pay (Agriculture), 19521

  1956

  102 Social Security (Minimum Standards), 1952

  1954

  105 Abolition of Forced Labour, 1957

  1957

  108 Seafarers' Identity Documents, 1958

  1964

  114 Fishermen's Articles of Agreement, 1959

  1974

  115 Radiation Protection 1960

  1962

  116 Final Articles Revision, 1961

  1962

  120 Hygiene (Commerce and Offices), 1964

  1967

  122 Employment Policy, 1964

  1966

  124 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Underground Work), 1965

  1966

  126 Accommodation of Crews (Fishermen), 1966

  1985

  133 Accommodation of Crews (Supplementary Provisions), 1970

  1981

  135 Workers' Representatives, 1971

  1973

  140 Paid Educational Leave, 1974

  1975

  141 Rural Workers' Organisations, 1975

  1977

  142 Human Resources Development, 1975

  1977

  144 Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards), 1976

  1977

  147 Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards), 1976

  1980

  148 Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration), 1977

  1979

  150 Labour Administration, 1978

  1980

  151 Labour Relations (Public Service), 1978

  1980

  160 Labour Statistics, 1985

  1987

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those International Labour Organisation conventions which the United Kingdom has(a) declined to sign and (b) not yet signed. [30226]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The United Kingdom reviews its position on unratified conventions on a regular basis. The United Kingdom has not yet signed the following conventions:

  ILO conventions not ratified by the United Kingdom

  Number

  1 Hours of Work (Industry), 1919

  3 Maternity Protection, 1919

  9 Placing of Seamen, 1920

  13 White Lead (Painting), 1921

  14 Weekly Rest (Industry), 1921

  20 Night Work (Bakeries), 1925

  21 Inspection of Emigrants, 19261

  27 Marking of Weight (Packages Transported by Vessels), 1929

  388

  28 Protection Against Accidents (Dockers), 19302

  30 Hours of Work (Coal Mines), 1931

  33 Minimum Age (Non-Industrial Employment), 1932

  34 Fee-Charging Employment Agencies, 19332

  46 Hours of Work (Coal Mines) (Revised), 1935

  47 Forty Hour Week, 1935

  48 Maintenance of Migrants' Pension Rights, 19352

  49 Reduction of Hours of Work (Glass-Bottle Works), 1935

  51 (Reduction of Hours of Work (Public Works), 1936

  52 Holidays with Pay, 19362

  53 Officers' Competency Certificates, 1936

  54 Holidays with Pay (Sea), 19362

  55 Shipowners' Liability (Sick and Injured Seamen), 1936

  57 Hours of Work and Manning (Sea)

  58 Minimum Age (Sea) (Revised), 1936

  59 Minimum Age (Industry) (Revised), 1937

  60 Minimum Age (Non-Industrial Employment) (Revised), 1937

  61 Reduction of Hours of Work (Tickets), 1937 (out of date)

  62 Safety Provisions (Building), 1937

  66 Migration for Employment, 1938

  67 Hours of Work and Rest Periods (Road Transport), 19392

  71 Seafarers' Pensions, 1946

  72 Paid Vacations (Seafarers), 19462

  73 Medical Examination (Seafarers), 1946

  75 Accommodation of Crews, 19462

  76 Wages, Hours of Work and Manning (Sea), 1946

  77 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry), 1946

  78 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Non-Industrial Occupations), 1946

  79Night Work of Young Persons (Non-Industrial Occupations), 1946

  81 Labour Inspection, 1947 (Only ratified Part I)

  89 Night Work (Women) (Revised), 1948

  90 Night Work of Young Persons (Industry) (Revised), 1948

  91 Paid Vacations (Seafarers) (Revised), 19492

  93 Wages, Hours of Work and Manning (Sea) (Revised) 2

  96 Fee-Charging Employment Agencies (Revised) 1949

  97 Migration for Employment (Revised) 1949 (Not ratified the provisions of Annexes I and III)

  102 Social Security (Minimum Standards), 1952 (only ratified Parts II to V, VII and X

  103 Maternity Protection (Revised), 1952

  104 Abolition of Penal Sanctions (Indigenous Workers), 1955

  106 Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices), 1957

  107 Indigenous and Tribal populations, 1957

  109 Wages, Hours of Work and manning (Sea) (Revised), 1958

  110 Plantations, [and Protocol, 1982], 1958

  111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), 1958

  112 Minimum Age (Fishermen), 1959

  113 Medical Examination (Fishermen), 1959

  117 Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards), 1962

  118 Equality of Treatment (Social Security), 1962

  119 Guarding of Machinery, 1963

  121 Employment Injury Benefits, 1964

  123 Minimum Age (Underground Work), 1965

  125 Fishermen's Competency Certificates, 1966

  127 Maximum Weight, 1967

  128 Invalidity, Old-Age and Survivors Benefits, 1967

  389

  130 Medical Care and Sickness Benefits, 1969

  131 Minimum Wage Fixing, 1970

  132 Holidays With Pay (Revised), 1970

  134 Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers), 1970

  136 Benzene, 1971

  137 Dock Work, 1973

  138 Minimum Age, 1973

  139 Occupational Cancer, 1974

  143 Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions), 1975

  145 Continuity of Employment (Seafarers), 1976

  146 Seafarers Annual Leave with Pay, 1976

  148 Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration), 1977 (Accepted only in respect of air pollution)

  149 Nursing Personnel, 1977

  152 Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work), 1979

  153 Hours of Work and Rest Periods (Road Transport), 1979

  154 Collective Bargaining, 1981

  155 Occupational Safety and Health, 1981

  156 Workers with Family Responsibilities, 1981

  157 Maintenance of Social Security Rights, 1982

  158 Termination of Employment, 1982

  159 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons), 1983

  161 Occupational Health Services, 1985

  162 Asbestos, 1986

  163 Seafarers' Welfare, 1987

  164 Health Protection and Medical Care (Seafarers), 1987

  165 Social Security (Seafarers) (Revised), 1987

  166 Repatriation of Seafarers (Revised), 1987

  167 Safety and Health in Construction, 1988

  168 Employment Promotion and Protection Against Unemployment, 1988

  169 Indigenous and Tribal Populations, 1989

  170 Chemicals 1990

  171 Night Work Convention, 1990

  172 Working Conditions (Hotels and Restaurants) 1991

  173 Protection of Workers' Claims (Employment Insolvency) 1992

  174 Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents 1993

  175 Part-Time Work 1994

  1 Conditional.

  1 Closed to further ratification by Member States.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will describe the technical and expert assistance which the United Kingdom has provided to the International Labour Organisation in each of the last 10 years. [30227]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The areas where assistance is provided include health and safety and statistics. The information requested is not, however, held centrally by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Organophosphorus Products
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of(a) sheep farms and (b) market gardens which may be expected to use organophosphorus products are visited by inspectors each year to check on protective measures when handling these products. [29734]
  390
  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 20 June 1995]: It is impossible to predict in advance the sheep farms or market gardens that use organophosphorus products. However, in the course of routine visits to these premises, health and safety inspectors inquire about compliance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, which apply to the use of organophosphorus products, including sheep dips.

  Visits are, of course, supplemented by published guidance and by advice through other means.

  Crown Immunity
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all areas within(a) his Department, (b) agencies under his Department's control and (c) organisations for which he has ministerial responsibility to which Crown immunity applies; what consideration he has given to removing this; and if he will make a statement. [28652]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 15 June 1995]: The Employment Department group consists of the Employment Department, the Employment Service, the Health and Safety Commission and Executive and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

  Certain legislation is expressly applied to the Crown. In most legislation, however, particularly older legislation, there is no such express provision. In those circumstances whether legislation applies to the Crown will depend on the implications to be drawn from the drafting and context of the legislation.

  The Government's general policy on Crown immunity is set out in the "Citizen's Charter—Raising the Standard", Cm 1599.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many of those people who are no longer eligible to receive unemployment benefit will be eligible for income support(a) nationally and (b) in Nottinghamshire. [29922]

  (2) following the introduction of the jobseeker's allowance, how many people will no longer be eligible for unemployment benefit (a) nationally and (b) in Nottinghamshire; [29922]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I have been asked to reply.

  Subject to parliamentary approval of the Jobseeker's Bill unemployment benefit and income support for unemployed people will be replaced by jobseeker's allowance in October 1996. Contributory entitlement to jobseeker's allowance will end after six months. On current assumptions, at any one time 165,000 people in Great Britain would be in receipt of unemployment benefit beyond six months. It is estimated that income-based jobseeker's allowance would offset the difference fully for 30,000 of these, and partially, for a further 65,000. Separate estimates for Nottinghamshire are not available.

  Notes:

  1. Caseload estimates rounded to the nearest 5,000.

  2. Estimates assume 2.4 million unemployed claimants and 500,000 Unemployment Benefit cases.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Reckless Driving
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to amend the criminal law to ensure that where reckless and dangerous driving results in death or injury the penalties will be appropriate.

  Mr. Maclean
  Parliament has increased the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving to 10 years. But it is entirely up to the courts and judges to impose the right sentence in each case.

  Learmont Inquiry
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the findings of the Learmont inquiry into the breakout at Parkhurst prison in January. [28409]

  Mr. Howard
  I have not yet received the report.

  Closed Circuit Television
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made on installing closed circuit television in town centres. [28410]

  Mr. Maclean
  Many local authorities and partnerships have installed closed circuit television systems in their town centres and other areas. The recent CCTV challenge competition has injected £5 million of prize money into 106 CCTV schemes across the country. These schemes will generate up to £13.8 million in matching funding from other sources, including the private sector.

  Police
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current number of policemen serving in the United Kingdom. [28411]

  Mr. Howard
  At the end of March 1995, there were approximately 150,000 police officers in the United Kingdom. In addition I understand that there were around 3,200 full-time RUC reserves.

  Police Operations
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his response to the report of the National Audit Office on controls over indirectly funded operations of the police service. [28412]

  Mr. Maclean
  The Committee of Public Accounts considered this report on 14 June. The Government will respond to the Committee's recommendations when they are received.

  Immigration Service Interpreters
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in improving the provision of interpreters for the immigration service following the report of the complaints audit committee. [28413]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  While the provision of interpreters for the immigration service is generally 392
  satisfactory, the recommendations of the complaints audit committee are under consideration. A new training package is being devised and a review of the arrangements under which interpreter services are provided to immigration and nationality department is planned under the Department's "Competing for Quality" programme. This review will examine both the quality and cost effectiveness of the arrangements.

  Police Funding
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what percentage police funding has changed since 1979 in real terms. [28414]

  Mr. Maclean
  Expenditure on the police in England and Wales has increased by 96 per cent. in real terms between 1978–79 and 1995–96.

  Crime Prevention
  Mr. Hoon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the Home Office's expenditure on crime prevention in the last year for which figures are available. [28416]

  Mr. Maclean
  Expenditure on crime prevention activities across Government in 1993–94—the latest period for which the figures are available—was £240 million. Expenditure on specific Home Office crime prevention initiatives in 1994–95 was £18.3 million, an increase of 9.7 per cent. on the previous year.

  Memorandum of Good Practice
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will revise the memorandum of good practice to include an unambiguous statement that it is possible for a child to receive therapy. [28417]

  Mr. Maclean
  The memorandum already states that it should be possible for a child to receive therapy once a video recording of the child's evidence-in-chief has been made. We are considering whether the guidance on this and other points in the memorandum needs to be revised in the light of research and experience to date.

  Prison Discipline
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to introduce more punitive practices in British prisons. [28418]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have no immediate plans to introduce more punitive practices into prisons. However, the policy on prison discipline is kept under review and, where necessary, changes are made to ensure it remains at a proper level to maintain good order in prisons.

  Drug Abuse (Prisons)
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the current level of drug abuse within prisons. [28419]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Any level of drug abuse in prison is unacceptable; the presence of drugs leads to violence, bullying and intimidation and undermines regimes. Tackling drug abuse is one of the four key priorities for the Prison Service for this year. The new
  393
  mandatory drug testing programme will provide routine and detailed monitoring of the level and type of drug misuse in prison.

  A wide range of measures are being taken up to prevent drugs from entering prisons. These include the increased use of drug dogs; more effective searching of prisoners, staff and visitors; the use of closed-circuit television cameras during visits; and the imposition of closed visits for prisoners found guilty of drug offences in prison.

  All Prison Service establishments provide detoxification, education and counselling facilities to prisoners with drug misuse problems via the health care centre, probation department or community drug agencies. This year the Prison Service will be substantially expanding the number and type of drug treatment programmes. These will include: therapeutic communities; three-month treatment programmes; detoxification units; intensive counselling and education services; and community-linked throughcare programmes.

  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to counter drug taking in prisons. [28422]

  Mr. Forsyth
  Reducing the level of drug misuse is one of the four key priorities in the Prison Service this year. The Prison Service's strategy requires all prison governors to implement local strategies directed at the reduction of the misuse of drugs.

  Capital and Corporal Punishment
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received urging him to restore to the courts the options of both capital and corporal punishment. [28420]

  Mr. Maclean
  I receive numerous representations on the restoration of both corporal and capital punishment from a variety of sources.

  Prison Staffing and Conditions
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had about prison staffing and conditions with the Director General of the Prison Service. [28421]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has had a number of recent discussions with the Director General of the Prison Service. A wide range of issues were discussed, including general staffing matters and prison conditions.

  Prison Conditions
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make any new proposals concerning prison conditions. [28423]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Policy on prison conditions is kept under constant review and modifications are made from time to time as the need arises. The Prison Service business plan 1995–96 and the Prison Service corporate plan 1995–98, published on 2 May, contain full details of Prison Service priorities and targets for the next three years, and set out how these will be achieved. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Abdul Qayyum Raja and Mohammed Riaz
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the sentences of Abdul Qayyum Raja and Mohammed Riaz. [28424]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I shall reconsider the tariff—that is the minimum period to be served by these mandatory life sentence prisoners—in the light of all the representations made by them or on their behalf.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Stevenson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the effects of reductions in section 11 funding in the current year; and if he will make a statement. [28425]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  On 22 November my right hon. and learned Friend announced an extra £30 million over two years for new section 11 projects beginning in 1995–96. This means that the section 11 programme is supporting projects worth some £58 million. This is in addition to the £27 million of former section 11 projects continuing under the SRB, and in addition to SRB funded regeneration projects, 35 per cent. of which include initiatives specifically designed to benefit ethnic minorities. In all, this amounts to a sizeable and continuing Government commitment.

  Cheshire Constabulary
  Mr. Brandreth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Cheshire constabulary's front-line policing policy; and if he will make a statement. [28426]

  Mr. Maclean
  I was pleased to note that crime in Cheshire fell by 7 per cent. in 1994, while the detection rate rose by 4 percentage points. The objectives set in the Cheshire policing plan for 1995–96 should enable this welcome trend to be maintained.

  Home Security
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much home security support he is arranging for householders in the metropolitan area; at what cost to public funds; and if he will make a statement. [28551]

  Mr. Maclean
  The Home Office has no funds for the direct provision of security support to individual householders, although we do run regular information campaigns on various aspects of crime prevention. I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that his officers actively supports neighbourhood watch schemes and other local crime prevention initiatives; and offer home security advice to householders, including domestic surveys. His successful campaign against burglary—Operation Bumblebee—has also raised public awareness about home security.

  Costings for the relevant elements of the Commissioner's work are not available centrally.

  Assembly and Trespass
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the operation of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 as it relates to assembly and trespass; and if he will make a statement. [29051]

  Mr. Maclean
  Section 70 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 amended part II of the Public Order Act 1986 by inserting two new sections to deal with trespassory assemblies. They provide for chief officers of police to apply to the appropriate local council for an order prohibiting the holding of all trespassory assemblies within a given area for a period of not more than four days, where they reasonably believe that a trespassory assembly will be held which might result in serious disruption to local residents or significant damage to a site of historical, architectural, archaeological or scientific importance.

  The consent of my right hon. and learned Friend to the making of an order is required. This ensures that they are as restricted and selective in scope as is necessary to meet the objective of protecting the community. Since these provisions came into force my right hon. and learned Friend has given his consent to Salisbury district council making two such orders which applied to a four mile radius of Stonehenge between 29 May and 1 June and 17 and 21 June. The enforcement of these orders is an operational matter for the chief officer of Wiltshire constabulary. No other orders have been made under the section.

  We are continuing to monitor the other public order measures in part V of the Act but it will be some time before we are able to assess their effectiveness.

  Crime
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of recent exercises in co-ordinated action against crime by the Metropolitan and county police forces. [29106]

  Mr. Maclean
  I would like to congratulate the forces which participated in the co-ordinated operation on 2 May against those involved in burglary; officers from 22 forces across the south of England and Wales searched 1,828 addresses, made over 1,300 arrests and recovered large quantities of stolen property.

  I fully support police operations that send a clear message to criminals, and their victims, that effective action is being taken against crime.

  Security Industry
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to introduce a licensing system for the private security industry. [28415]

  Mr. Maclean
  The case for a licensing system is currently being considered. The report published recently by the Home Affairs Select Committee made a number of very helpful recommendations on this issue, and I shall respond to it soon.

  Visitors Passports and Excursion Documents
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to abolish British visitors passports and British excursion documents in 1996; and if he will make a statement. [30391]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given to a question from my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Burton (Sir I. Lawrence) on 20 December 1994,Official Report columns 1214–15.

  Local Taxation (Imprisonment)
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women were imprisoned in England and Wales for non-payment of council tax, poll tax or rates in each year since 1991. [30280]

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Gerald Bermingham, dated 22 June 1994:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions asking how many (a) men and (b) women were imprisoned in England and Wales for non-payment of council tax, community charge or rates in each year since 1991.
  Information for 1991 and 1992 is published in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (table 6.3 of the 1992 edition, Cm. 2581), a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Provisional information for 1993 and 1994 is given in the attached table.

  Receptions of non-criminal prisoners into prison service establishments in England and Wales for non-payment of rates or community charge, 1993–1994.

  19931

  19941

  Offence

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Non-payment of rates

  173

  21

  98

  16

  Non-payment of community charge

  1,249

  177

  1,173

  188

  1 Provisional figures.

  Obscenity
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the working group on obscenity; and if he will list the topics which have been discussed. [30019]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The group has met twice so far. The main topics discussed have been the use of computer networks for the importation and dissemination of obscene and indecent material, the enforcement of laws against child pornography, the display of indecent material in newsagents and the need for further research in the area of obscenity.

  Fine Defaulters
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of(a) all sentenced prison receptions and (b) all receptions of prisoners sentenced to six months or less consisted of fine defaulters in England and Wales in (i) 1993 and (ii) 1994. [30278]
  397
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Gerald Bermingham, dated 22 June 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what proportion of (a) all sentenced prison receptions and (b) all receptions of prisoners sentenced to six months or less consisted of fine defaulters in England and Wales in (i) 1993 and (ii) 1994.
  The information requested is given in the table below.

  Fine defaulters as a percentage of all sentenced receptions and receptions of persons sentenced to less than 6 months, 1993 and 19941

  Per cent.

  1993

  1994

  Percentage of all sentenced receptions

  30.7

  27.2

  Percentage of receptions sentenced to less than six months

  48.3

  41.5

  1 Provisional figures.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many(a) males and (b) females were imprisoned in 1993 and 1994, respectively, for non-payment of fines; and what were the numbers of cases where the original fines were imposed for (i) motoring offences, (ii) theft and handling, (iii) drunkenness, and (iv) non-payment of television licences. [30277]

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Gerald Bermingham, dated 22 June 1995.
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many (a) males and (b) females were imprisoned in 1993 and 1994, respectively, for non-payment of fines; and what were the numbers of cases where the original fines were imposed for (i) motoring offences, (ii) theft and handling, (iii) drunkenness, and (iv) non-payment of television licences.
  Provisional information for 1993 and 1994 is given in the attached table.

  Receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, 1993–1994

  Offence

  19931Males

  Females

  19941Males

  Females

  Theft and handling

  3,802

  265

  2,341

  186

  Drunkenness

  633

  24

  329

  10

  Motoring offences

  8,141

  202

  6,432

  198

  Using a TV without a licence

  547

  278

  503

  260

  Not recorded

  82

  16

  2,775

  125

  All receptions

  21,097

  1,306

  21,303

  1,420

  1 Provisional figures. The 1994 figures for types of offence are affected by a larger "not recorded" component.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the proportion of the average daily population of(a) all sentenced prisoners and (b) all prisoners serving sentences of six months or less consisting of fine defaulters in England and Wales in (i) 1993 and (ii) 1994. [30279]
  398
  Mr. Forsyth
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Gerald Bermingham, dated 22 June 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking for the proportion of the average daily population of (a) all sentenced prisoners and (b) all prisoners serving sentences of six months or less, consisting of fine defaulters in England and Wales in (i) 1993 and (ii) 1994.
  The information requested is given in the table attached.

  Fine defaulters as a percentage of the average sentenced population and average population sentenced to less than 6 months, 1993 and 19941

  1993

  1994

  Percentage of average sentenced population

  1.5

  1.2

  Percentage of average sentenced population sentenced to less than six months

  12.6

  9.9

  1 Sentenced population includes fine defaulters but excludes sentenced prisoners held in police cells.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female prisoners were received into jails in England and Wales in lieu of fine default during 1994; and how many were received for non-payment of fines in relation to(a) community charge offences, (b) television licence offences, (c) soliciting and loitering, (d) motoring offences and (e) other offences which were themselves non-imprisonable. [24270]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The available provisional information of receptions of female fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments in 1994 is given in the table. Receptions for non-payment of community charge tax or council tax are not classified as receptions for fine default and are not therefore included in the table. Provisional information, however, shows that 188 females were received into a Prison Service establishment in England and Wales for non-payment of community charge in 1994. Separate information is not centrally available on fine default for loitering or for other non-imprisonable offences.

  Receptions of female fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales 19941

  Offence

  Number

  Using a TV without a licence

  260

  Soliciting

  24

  Motoring offences

  198

  Other offences

  815

  All receptions

  1,420

  1 Provisional figures.

  Dr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) male and (b) female prisoners were received into gaols in England and Wales for fine default in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many were received for non-payment of (a) community charge, (b) TV licence, (c) motor offences, (d) sexual offences and (e) other offences which were themselves not imprisonable. [26896]

  Mr. Forsyth
  The available provisional information for receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments for 1992–1994 is given in table 1. Non-imprisonable offences are not separately identifiable
  399
  from the offence information held centrally. Those received into prison for non-payment of community charge or council tax are non-criminal prisoners rather than fine defaulters. Information about receptions of such prisoners is given in table 2.

  Information on fine defaulters and non-criminal receptions is published in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales"—tables 6.2 and 7.2 of the 1992 edition, Cm 2581, a copy of which is in the Library.

  The power to imprison fine defaulters should be used only as a final sanction where the court has inquired into the offender's means and is satisfied that the default is due to the offender's wilful refusal or culpable neglect and has considered or tried all other methods of enforcing payment of the sum and it appears to the court that they are inappropriate or unsuccessful. In the case of defaulters aged 18 to 20 the court may, instead of issuing a warrant of committal, make an attendance centre order if such a disposal is available locally.

  When a fine has been imposed on an offender by a court it may require immediate payment, allow time for payment, or order payment by instalments. If it orders payment by instalments it may at the same time, if the court deems it appropriate, make a money payments supervision order or, if the offender requests it, make an attachment of earnings order.

  If an offender subsequently defaults on payment then the court is required to inquire again into his or her financial circumstances. A fine may be remitted in whole or in part where the original sentence was imposed on the basis of insufficient information about the financial

  Table 1

  Receptions of fine defaulters into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, 1992 to 1994

  1992

  11993

  11994

  Offence

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Using A TV without a licence

  405

  163

  547

  278

  503

  260

  Motoring offences

  6,139

  146

  8,141

  202

  6,432

  198

  Sexual offences

  29

  1

  27

  —

  12

  —

  Other offences

  10,797

  639

  12,300

  540

  11,581

  839

  Not recorded

  1,412

  95

  82

  16

  2,775

  125

  All receptions

  18,782

  1.044

  21,097

  1,306

  21,303

  1,420

  1 Provisional figures.

  Table 2

  Receptions of non-criminal prisoners into Prison Service establishments for non-payment of community charge 1992–1994

  Year

  Males

  Females

  1992

  476

  28

  19931

  1,249

  177

  19941

  1,173

  188

  1 Provisional figures.

  Child Abduction
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make it his policy that the passports of wards of court and other children at risk of child abduction be endorsed with details of relevant court orders. [30392]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Consideration is currently being given by the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office to the question of the endorsement of the passports
  400
  circumstances of the offender or if circumstances have changed since the conviction. Periodical payments or further time to pay may be ordered in cases where that would be appropriate.

  The magistrates court enforcing the fine may also use any of the following range of powers available to it:

  it can make a money payments supervision order;

  it can make an attachment of earnings order;

  it can make an application for deductions to be made from an offender's income support; and

  it may issue a distress warrant where the defaulter has goods which may be sold to meet the fine;

  where the defaulter is under 18:
  the parent or guardian, whose consent must be obtained, can be ordered to enter into a recognisance to ensure the defaulter pays, provided the court is satisfied the defaulter has had the means to pay and has refused or neglected to pay; or
  the parent or guardian can be ordered to pay the fine provided the court is satisfied the defaulter has had the means to pay and has refused or neglected to pay.

  A working group on the enforcement of financial penalties has been set up by the Lord Chancellor's Department to identify and promote good practice in the enforcement of financial penalties and recommend procedural, administrative or legislative changes which would improve the enforcement of financial penalties. A study has also been commissioned by the Home Office research and planning unit to examine the use made of each of the enforcement methods available to the courts. The findings of the study will help to inform the considerations of the working group.

  of children at risk of child abduction. It is not possible at this stage to indicate the likely outcome of this process.

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the work of his Department in the field of child abduction over the past year; and what work is planned in the year ahead. [30388]

  Mr. Maclean
  In association with REUNITE—the National Council for Abducted Children—officials and police officers have been reviewing police practice in this field. It is hoped that some guidance materials for parents and police officers will be produced.

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many known cases there have been of child abduction from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [30390]

  Mr. Maclean
  No information is collected centrally on the number of children abducted from the United Kingdom.

  Medical Research
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make lottery money available for medical research. [30297]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The distribution of the share of lottery proceeds which is allocated for charitable expenditure is a matter for the National Lottery Charities Board. The board has stated that, in its first grants programme, on which it expects to make awards in October, it is placing a high priority on funding organisations working with people on low incomes and that applications from medical research charities which meet this criterion will be considered by the board in line with these priorities. The board has also said that in addition, applications from medical research charities for other projects will also be considered in the first programme, if the application is for an exceptional project or initiative. The board has yet to announce its priorities for future grant rounds.

  Mrs. Ifat Shaheen Hussain
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department received a request from the United Kingdom post in Islamabad to interview the sponsor of Mrs. Ifat Shaheen Hussain (Ref: Imm/C6283); when the sponsor is to be interviewed; and if he will make a statement. [30069]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The request from the British high commission in Islamabad for an interview of Mrs. Ifat Shaheen Hussain's sponsor was received by the Home Office on 28 February 1995. The papers are, at present, with the immigration service, at Leeds—Bradford airport who will contact Mrs. Hussain's sponsor to arrange an interview in due course.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are at present being held in prisons in England and Wales. [29545]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  As at 15 June 1995, a total of 240 persons who had at some stage sought asylum in the United Kingdom were detained in Prison Service establishments. This figure includes people awaiting the setting of directions for removal following refusal of the application, as well as those whose applications were under consideration or subject to appeal.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of asylum applications made by people with leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors in 1994 was made before the leave to enter expired. [29461]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Seventy per cent. of asylum applications from people with leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors in 1994 were made before the leave to enter expired.

  Police Vehicle Accidents
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been(a) killed and (b) injured in accidents involving police vehicles in each of the last five years. [29514]
  402
  Mr. Maclean
  The latest available information on casualties in police vehicle accidents in England and Wales is for the period 1989–1993 and is given in the following table. The figures relate to death or serious injury in the course of either police pursuits or responses to emergency calls.

  Police vehicle accidents (England and Wales)

  Year

  Total fatal injuries

  Total serious injuries

  1989

  39

  333

  1990

  24

  317

  1991

  32

  271

  1992

  30

  300

  1993

  34

  300

  Probation Officers
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 June,Official Report, column 125, if he will list the organisations that have responded to the consultative proposals concerning probation officer recruitment and training. [29486]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The Home Office has received comments from a wide variety of sources including individuals or groups of individuals in organisations and professional bodies. Some of these have written in a personal capacity and it would not be appropriate to disclose details. Responses have been received from the following organisations, probation services and universities.

  Organisations

  Central Probation Council

  Association of Chief Officers of Probation

  Probation Managers Association

  National Association of Probation Officers

  Association of Black Probation Officers

  National Association of Asian Probation Staff

  Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom

  Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW)

  Joint University Council Social Work Education Committee

  Standing Conference of Tutors of Probation Qualifying Courses

  Association of University Teachers

  The Magistrate's Association

  Association of County Councils

  British Society of Criminology

  The Association of Family Court Welfare Officers

  Commission for Racial Equality

  Portman and Tavistock NHS Trust

  Voluntary Sector Consultative Group

  Probation services

  Bedfordshire

  Berkshire

  Buckinghamshire

  Cambridgeshire

  Cheshire

  Cleveland

  Cornwall

  403

  Cumbria

  Derbyshire

  Devon

  Dorset

  Durham

  Essex

  Gloucestershire

  Hampshire

  Hereford and Worcestershire

  Hertfordshire

  Humberside

  Kent

  Lancashire

  Leicestershire

  Lincolnshire

  Inner London

  North East London

  South East London

  South West London

  Manchester

  Merseyside

  Norfolk

  Northampton

  Northumbria

  Nottinghamshire

  Oxfordshire

  Shropshire

  Staffordshire

  Suffolk

  Surrey

  East Sussex

  West Sussex

  Warwickshire

  West Midlands

  Wiltshire

  North Yorkshire

  South Yorkshire

  West Yorkshire

  North Wales

  Dyfed

  Powys

  Gwent

  Mid Glamorgan

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  Universities

  Bangor University College of North Wales

  Bath University

  Birmingham University

  Bristol University

  Croydon College

  Durham University

  East Anglia University

  Exeter University

  Huddersfield University

  404

  Hull University

  Keele University

  Leicester—De Montfort University

  Liverpool University

  Manchester Metropolitan University

  Manchester University

  Mid Kent College of Higher Education

  Middlesex University

  Northumbria University at Newcastle

  Nottingham Trent University

  Nottingham University

  Oxford University

  Sheffield University

  Sheffield Hallam University

  Southampton University

  Sussex University

  Swansea University College

  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses were received to the consultation document on the recruitment and training of probation officers; and how many of these supported the Government's proposals as set out in the consultation paper. [28113]

  Mr. Baker
  A total of 493 responses had been received by the end of the consultation period on 26 May 1995, of which 11 supported those proposals in full. My right hon. and learned Friend will be carefully considering all responses received and will announce his conclusions in due course.

  Police Charging
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 694, if he will make a statement on what is (a) the basis of and (b) justification for the general gravity and specific gravity system for police officers' use when determining whether or not to charge a suspect with an offence and which offence to charge. [29660]

  Mr. Maclean
  Decisions on charging are matters for chief officers and the Crown Prosecution Service. Where systems containing gravity factors are in use, I understand that they are intended to ensure a more consistent and robust approach to decision making by bringing to the attention of officers all the relevant facts of a case.

  Demonstrations (Live Animals Exports)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to police budgets of the protection provided to those involved in the export of live animals in the last year. [29642]

  Mr. Maclean
  In the last 12 months seven police authorities have incurred additional expenditure as a result of policing demonstrations against live animal exports. I understand from them that the estimated additional costs to date have been £6,848,206.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the overall effect on the income of smaller charities of the introduction of the national lottery. [29653]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  It is too early to assess the overall effect that the national lottery is having in this area. My right hon. and learned Friend has undertaken to monitor changes in charitable income following the establishment of the national lottery. He is preparing proposals for giving effect to this undertaking.

  Former Yugoslavia
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's current policy in respect of the resolution adopted on 1 June 1993 by the European Council under the headings "Resolution on certain common guide-lines as regards the admission of particularly vulnerable groups of persons from the former Yugoslavia". [29652]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The Government have agreed to receive 1,000 particularly vulnerable individuals and their close dependants from the former Yugoslavia. As at 20 June, 866 principals and 1,177 dependants had arrived. None of these people will be required to return to the former Yugoslavia until it is safe to do so.

  In addition, the Government are maintaining their previously announced policy of not requiring nationals of the former Yugoslavia to return to areas of active conflict.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many written parliamentary questions were tabled for answer by his Department in each of the past five years; how many of these were not answered because the information(a) could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, (b) was not held centrally and (c) was not normally disclosed; how many of these could now be answered due to computerisation, more effective and efficient operational systems or more open government; and if he will list each question along with the name and constituency of the right hon. or hon. Member who originally tabled it. [28518]

  Mr. Howard
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Justice and Home Affairs Council
  Sir Michael Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held on 20–21 June. [30864]

  Mr. Howard
  I, together with the Minister of State, Scottish Office, Lord Fraser, represented the United Kingdom at the Council which was held in Luxembourg.

  Before the Council began, the Ministers of the member states met their counterparts from the central and eastern European states and from the Baltic states to continue the structured dialogue with them on interior and justice affairs. The troika held a meeting after the Council to brief the USA, Canada, Malta and Cyprus on the Council's discussions.
  406
  The Council agreed as "A" points, among other things, a statistical report on crimes and offences linked to racism and xenophobia, a report on terrorism, a report on aspects of customs co-operation, a recommendation on means of combating illegal immigration and illegal employment and a resolution on the protection of witnesses in the fight against international organised crime.

  The Council had a full discussion on the points outstanding on three important conventions, which are close to completion. These are the conventions on Europol, on the protection of the financial interests of the European Communities and on the Customs information system. The Council was able to resolve most of these points and to make progress in defining the remaining issues which relate mainly to resolving disputes on the interpretation of the conventions. These will be discussed by the European Council at Cannes.

  The Council considered progress reports on work on the draft convention on controls on persons crossing external frontiers and on the draft convention on extradition. It also considered a draft convention on jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters, and agreed that work would continue on this under the incoming Spanish presidency.

  It agreed in principle a resolution on burden sharing with regard to the admission and residence of temporarily displaced persons which is not legally binding and is in terms acceptable to the United Kingdom.

  The Council considered the draft Council regulation on third countries whose nationals must have a visa when crossing the external borders of the member states. It failed to reach final agreement due to a difference of opinion on the inclusion in the list of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia-Montenegro.

  I raised with my colleagues the question of football hooliganism. The Council agreed with my proposal that work should be done to increase the effectiveness of the arrangements between member states for preventing and dealing with disorder arising at football matches.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Flatworms
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what resources are being applied to research into the effects of New Zealand flatworms; if he will list the studies being undertaken; what assessment he has made of(a) the control of the flatworm in 1995 to date and (b) whether the problem is increasing; and if he will make a statement. [29170]

  Mr. Ancram
  New Zealand flatworms were first observed in two gardens in Belfast in 1963. They have spread to other parts of Northern Ireland and have now been found in approximately 800 locations. The Department of Agriculture is continuing to carry out research into the effects and control of the flatworm. It is estimated that costs of £366,000 have been incurred on this work since 1988 and £48,000 will be spent on it in 1995–96. Research to date has not identified an effective control measure other than trapping and removal of the flatworms.

  Education Service (Building Programme)
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been allocated for the building programme for the education service for the financial year; how much of this is additional funding; how much of this is directly related to construction work, how many projects are involved; how many projects have been put out to tender; and how many projects have commenced construction work. [28991]

  Mr. Ancram
  A total of £48.05 million has been allocated in the 1995–96 financial year for major capital works in the education service, and all new building work under the education reform programme. No additional resources were made available in the 1994 public expenditure round. This total is directly related to construction work and 211 capital projects are involved. Construction work has commenced on 111 projects and 33 projects are out to tender.

  Sulphur Quotas
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received regarding additional sulphur quotas for Northern Ireland's electricity generators; and when he expects to make a decision. [28980]

  Mr. Moss
  On the basis of representations from public representatives, Northern Ireland Electricity and the Northern Ireland generators, consideration is being given to the possible transfer of surplus allocations of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from power stations in Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

  It is hoped that a decision on this can be made in the near future and, as already undertaken, I will advise the hon. Member of the outcome of this examination as soon as possible.

  Schools (Funding)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the reasons for the removal of direct links between the Department of Education in Northern Ireland and voluntary grammar schools. [28973]

  Mr. Ancram
  The Government have proposed that the recurrent funding of voluntary grammar schools and grant-maintained integrated schools would in future be undertaken by the education and library boards, which are responsible for funding the vast majority of schools in Northern Ireland, both controlled and voluntary.

  Many representations on these proposals have been received by my Department as part of the consultation process, which officially ended on 9 June. I will now wish to consider these representations before making final decisions.

  Washington Investment Conference
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was expended out of public funds sent to delegates to the Washington investment conference. [28981]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Financial assistance was provided by the Industrial Development Board only to those 408
  business representatives who qualified under existing marketing programmes. Companies qualifying under this support through the matchmaker programme totalled 34 and assistance of up to £500 per attendee is available. So far, no financial support has been drawn down. Assistance of up to £500 per attendee was also provided to the voluntary sector. To date, £18,500 has been expended.

  The Secretary of State and two Northern Ireland Office Ministers attended the conference, along with a number of senior officials and chairmen of Government-funded agencies. While in the United States, a number of the attendees at the conference undertook other official arrangements. Costs of attending the conference are being collated and apportioned to reflect this. I will write to the right hon. Gentleman with these details.

  Accidents (Old Milltown Road)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many accidents there have been this year along the Old Milltown road, Shaw's Bridge, Castlereagh; how many of these road accidents have involved pedestrians; what proposals there are for a footway along this road; what proposals there are to make the Old Milltown road a one-way road; what proposals there are for calming measures at the Old Milltown road; and if he will make a statement about road safety at this location. [28978]

  Mr. Moss
  On the road in question, there has been one recorded injury accident this year—no pedestrians were involved. There are no proposals to provide a footway, a one-way system or traffic calming measures at Old Milltown road. The accident history at this location compares favourably with that at similar locations throughout the Belfast area.

  National Health Service
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the administrative costs incurred by(a) NHS purchasers and (b) NHS providers in each region in each year since 1990–91. [29094]

  Mr. Moss
  The purchaser-provider split was not recognised in the accounts of health and personal social services organisations in Northern Ireland until 1992–93. The information requested is not available in the precise form requested. The tables give expenditure on administration, training and miscellaneous items.

  Table 1

  Total administration and other expenditure 1990–91 and 1991–92

  £

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Northern Health and Social Services Board

  11,220,689

  13,654,582

  Southern Health and Social Services Board

  9,351,945

  10,898,914

  Eastern Health and Social Services Board

  28,128,256

  35,328,069

  Western Health and Social Services Board

  9,611,322

  11,468,036

  Total

  58,312,212

  71,349,601

  409

  Table 2

  Total administration and other expenditure 1992–93

  Northern board area £

  Southern board area £

  Eastern board area £

  Western board area £

  Total £

  Purchaser

  3,904,301

  5,381,665

  7,294,838

  3,063,922

  19,644,726

  Provider

  14,448,283

  9,618,441

  38,061,193

  15,713,177

  77,841,094

  Total

  18,352,584

  15,000,106

  45,356,031

  18,777,099

  97,485,820

  Table 3

  Total administration and other expenditure 1993–94

  Northern board area £

  Souther board area £

  Eastern board area £

  Western board area £

  Total £

  Purchaser

  3,622,968

  3,576,395

  5,423,077

  2,345,573

  14,968,013

  Provider

  16,736,405

  11,419,068

  41,679,102

  16,205,361

  86,039,936

  Total

  20,359,373

  14,995,463

  47,102,179

  18,550,934

  101,007,949

  Note:

  In 1992–93 the form of accounts for health and personal social services organisations changed to reflect the purchaser/provider split and the introduction of capital charges. Comparison of figures before 1992–93 with those since that date should be approached with caution.

  Dr. Yin Yin Teoh
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the case of Dr. Yin Yin Teoh of the Belfast Victoria hospital [30255]

  Mr. Moss
  Dr. Yin Yin Teoh, a pre-registration house officer in the royal group of hospitals HSS trust was responsible for the accidental administration of an injection into the wrong drip line which resulted in the death of a patient, Mr. Samuel Beers. As a result, Dr. Teoh was charged with manslaughter but was found not guilty at her trial on 15 May 1995.

  A thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident was carried out by the trust and the recommendations flowing from this investigation have been implemented.

  During the period of the investigation and trial, Dr. Teoh was transferred to non-clinical duties. She has since been successful in obtaining an appointment as a senior house officer and has resumed clinical duties at the royal group of hospitals trust.

  Rate Collection Agency
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of the Rate Collection Agency. [30937]

  Mr. Moss
  KPMG Management Consulting was commissioned to undertake an evaluation of the performance of the Rate Collection Agency and a review of the prior options of abolition, privatisation or contractorisation of the agency or the market testing of its functions. They concluded that:the RCA is an effective and efficient organisation, and that Agency status has acted as a catalyst to improvement in performance through the greater clarity of objectives and responsibilities which it has engendered;
  the delivery of the RCA functions by the private sector is feasible, and that the most appropriate way of ensuring the best value for money solution is to market test the Agency's functions.

  The Government have decided to accept the KPMG recommendations that the agency's functions should be
  410
  market tested. In the meantime, the status of the agency has been confirmed until the results of the market test are implemented. A revised framework document for the agency is currently being prepared.

  Copies of the KPMG report are being placed in the Library.

  Small and Medium-sized Business
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his Department's definition of a small business and a medium-sized business. [29578]

  Mr. Ancram
  [holding answer, 21 June 1995]: There is no generally accepted, single definition of what is a small and what is a medium-sized business. Where it is necessary to distinguish between small and medium-sized businesses, for example in the presentation of statistical data or in the context of a specific scheme of assistance, the definition used will always be made clear.

WALES

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the criteria for being appointed chairman of a training and enterprise council; when the criteria were last revised; and if he will list chairmen of the Welsh training and enterprise councils, and the business activities in which they are engaged corresponding to the criteria for selection. [28248]

  Mr. Redwood
  The chairman of each training and enterprise council is chosen by the TEC's board of directors. To be eligible the person concerned must hold the office of chairman or chief executive of a company, or be a top level operational manager at a local level of a company, or be a senior partner of a professional partnerships within the private sector, where the company or partnership concerned is of at least three year's standing and has either an annual turnover exceeding £5 million or 25 or more full-time employees. Any TEC director who ceases to be eligible while in office is expected to relinquish that position within three months
  411
  after ceasing to be eligible, unless the TEC and I agree that he or she may continue in office.

  These requirements are set out in the TEC operating agreement and were last reviewed in 1992.

  The current chairman of TECs in Wales are listed. All of these except one satisfy the eligibility criteria for TEC chairmanship as either chairman or managing director of a private sector company employing more than 25 staff. The exception is Mr. Paul Rich who was eligible as the managing director of a private company employing more than 25 staff at the time of his appointment as TEC chairman. Mr. Rich has since ceased to hold this office but I have agreed to his continued chairmanship of the TEC up to 31 March 1996, unless the TEC identifies a suitable successor before then.

  Name

  Mid Glamorgan TEC

  Mr. John Phillips CBE

  West Wales TEC

  Mr. Carl Hadley OBE

  North West Wales TEC

  Mr. Trefor Jones OBE DL

  North East Wales TEC

  Mr. John Troth OBE

  Powys TEC

  Mr. David Baird-Murray

  Gwent TEC

  Mr. Roger Jones

  South Glamorgan TEC

  Mr. Paul Rich

  Conservation Welsh Conference
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost to public funds of hosting the Conservative Welsh conference at the Eisteddfod international centre in Llangollen on 9 and 10 June. [28810]

  Mr. Redwood
  Security and policing arrangements for the conference were provided by the North Wales police force. No other cost to public funds was incurred.

  Medical Treatment
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his oral answer of 12 June to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans),Official Report, column 490, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change in numbers of people needing medical treatment in Wales since 1979. [29157]

  Mr. Richards
  A large number of factors will have contributed to the increase, including a greater use of screening procedures, medical, technical and

  (a) Residential care and nursing placements in registered independent homes for the elderly 1993–941

  £ thousand

  Total expenditure

  Total income

  Of which: Government grants2

  Sales

  Fees and charges

  Other income

  Joint arrangements

  Clwyd

  3,156

  27

  0

  0

  27

  0

  0

  Dyfed

  2,785

  1,248

  0

  0

  1,248

  0

  0

  Gwent

  2,882

  1,203

  0

  0

  1,203

  0

  0

  Gwynedd

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Mid Glamorgan

  2,596

  1,317

  0

  0

  1,317

  0

  0

  Powys

  707

  121

  0

  0

  121

  0

  0

  South Glamorgan

  1,599

  94

  0

  0

  94

  0

  0

  West Glamorgan

  1,958

  5

  0

  0

  5

  0

  0

  Total Wales

  15,683

  4,015

  0

  0

  4,015

  0

  0

  1 Provisional. Includes placements in independent sector homes which are not required to register under the Registered Homes Act 1984 because they are managed or provided by an exempt body.

  2 Includes specific and supplementary government grants inside and outside Aggregate External Finance.

  412
  pharmaceutical advances, an overall increase in morbidity due mainly to the growing number of elderly people, and rising public and patient expectations of what NHS treatment can achieve.

  Clinical Services
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a list of all contracts for non-clinical services worth £100,000 or more that have been awarded by national health service trusts under the compulsory competitive tendering process.

  Mr. Richards
  Only three NHS services are subject to compulsory competitive tendering—catering, laundry and domestic services. All the contracts awarded by NHS trusts for these services are in excess of £100,000.

  Administrative Costs
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what were the administrative costs incurred by(a) NHS purchasers and (b) NHS providers in each region in each year since 1990–91. [29096]

  Mr. Richards
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 19 June 1995,Official Report, column 70.

  Placement of Old People
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total expenditure in 1993–94 by each local authority from placements of old people in(a) registered and (b) unregistered independent residential care and nursing homes, inside and outside the local authority area and from placements in local authority homes for older people; and if he will break down by income from (1) Government grants, inside aggregate external finance and outside aggregate external finance, (2) sales, (3) fees and charges, (4) other income and (5) joint arrangements. [28993]

  Mr. Richards
  The information requested is given in the following tables. In 1993–94 local authorities incurred no expenditure on, and received no income from, placements in unregistered independent residential care and nursing homes. The expenditure not covered by direct income is supported from sources not hypothecated to specific sources, primarily revenue support grant, non-domestic rates and council tax income.
  413

  (b) Local authority homes for the elderly 1993–941

  £ thousand

  Total expenditure

  Total income

  Of which: Government grants2

  Sales

  Fees and charges

  Other income

  Joint arrangement

  Clwyd

  7,028

  2,252

  0

  107

  2,036

  109

  0

  Dyfed

  10,619

  4,537

  0

  21

  3,812

  704

  0

  Gwent

  9,739

  3,130

  54

  19

  2,548

  474

  35

  Gwynedd

  7,658

  2,621

  0

  0

  2,559

  62

  0

  Mid Glamorgan

  11,865

  3,829

  35

  43

  3,751

  0

  0

  Powys

  4,665

  1,502

  0

  10

  1,475

  17

  0

  South Glamorgan

  6,203

  1,876

  0

  22

  1,637

  209

  8

  West Glamorgan

  8,435

  2,371

  17

  33

  2,201

  120

  0

  Total Wales

  66,212

  22,118

  106

  255

  20,019

  1,695

  43

  1 Provisional. Includes income from placements of the elderly mentally infirm, the physically disabled and blind and deaf people. Excludes income from sheltered accommodation.

  2 Includes specific and supplementary government grants inside and outside Aggregate External Finance.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what was the number of employees in(a) manufacturing and (b) service industries in (i) Wales and (ii) the travel-to-work areas in Blaenau Gwent in each year since 1987. [29149]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The data requested are available for each year from 1987 for Wales and for 1987, 1989 and 1991 for Blaenau Gwent travel-to-work area. All these data can be obtained from the NOMIS database which can be accessed by the staff of the Library of the House.

  Volatile Organic Compounds
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what support his Department is giving to local authorities in Wales to assist them to develop their systems for monitoring volatile organic compounds. [29488]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Under its strategy to curb emissions of volatile organic compounds, the Government are taking a range of measures including controls on industrial sources, tighter standards for vehicles, and increased monitoring. As part of this we are encouraging the integration of local authority monitoring into the UK network and aiming to provide support to councils on quality controls aspects. In Wales, the Welsh Office has also co-operated with councils on the establishment of the new air quality forum to help monitor and assess, on a consistent basis, compounds and other air pollutants.

  NHS Dental Services
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much of the extra money for alleviating the dental crisis in Gwynedd, announced by him earlier this year to the Welsh Grand Committee, has so far been(a) spent and (b) committed; and if he will publish an analysis of such expenditure. [29924]

  Mr. Richards
  None of the extra £2.5 million has yet been allocated or spent.

  All Welsh health authorities, as well as those in Gwynedd, were invited to bring forward proposals to improve dental services in their areas. Those proposals have been considered and discussed in detail at meetings with Welsh Office officials.
  414
  An announcement will be made shortly on how the money will be made available.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people have been employed by the NHS in Wales in each of the last five years. [29634]

  Mr. Richards
  The information is given in the following table:

  Whole-time equivalent number of directly employed NHS staff1

  Date

  Number

  September 1990

  53,049

  September 1991

  53,475

  September 1992

  54,537

  September 1993

  54,932

  September 1994

  54,136

  1 Excluding pre-registration learner nurses. General medical and dental practitioners (some of whom are employed partly as clinical assistants or hospital practitioners by the NHS) and their staff are also excluded.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many managers and similar grades were employed in the NHS in(a) 1992 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [29635]

  Mr. Richards
  The information is given in the following table:

  Whole-time equivalent number of NHS managers1

  Date

  Number

  September 1992

  893

  March 1995

  1,338

  1 Staff paid on senior managers and managers payscales. Includes staff reclassified as managers following the extension in 1989 of managers terms and conditions of service.

  Income
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current average gross weekly income of adult(a) male and (b) female full-time Welsh workers. [29618]
  415
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  According to the "New Earnings Survey", average gross weekly earnings of full-time males in Wales was £320.9 in April 1994. The corresponding figure for females was £239.0.

  Landfill Sites
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of landfill sites in which contaminated soil is deposited and is proposed to be deposited in each of the counties of Wales; and if he will make a statement. [29631]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not held centrally.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many people were unemployed in Wales(a) in May 1979 and (b) at the last date for which figures are available. [29629]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The seasonally adjusted number of persons on the claimant unemployment count in Wales was 68,700 in May 1979 and 106,800 in May 1995.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Defence what measures need to be put in hand to monitor and deal with incidents of low flying by military aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [28481]

  Mr. Redwood
  If there are complaints about possible violation of the low flying regulations they should be referred to the MOD for investigation. Compensation is payable where military activity leads to an identifiable and agreed loss.

  Hospital Costs
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, (1) what is the average cost of providing one doctor hour in Powys hospitals; and if he will make a statement; [29053]

  (2) what is the average cost of providing one doctor hour in Welsh hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [29056]

  Mr. Richards
  This information is not held centrally.

  Community Hospitals, Powys
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total annual cost of maintaining extended community hospitals in Powys; and if he will make a statement. [29055]

  Mr. Richards
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  GP Fundholding
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioners in Wales work in independent fundholding practices; what proportion of general practitioners in Wales this represents; what is the annual cost of funding these general practitioners; and if he will make a statement. [29050]
  416
  Mr. Richards
  There are 649 general practitioners, about 35.5 per cent. of all GPs, working in 146 GP fundholding practices in Wales. The level of expenditure from fundholder management allowances between 1990–91 to 1993–94 was as follows:

  £

  1990–91

  111,630

  1991–92

  519,556

  1991–93

  1,622,538

  1993–94

  2,904,934

  Expenditure figures for 1994–95 are not yet available but provisional accounts suggest that the total sum amounted to some £3.8 million.

  NHS Hospital Staff
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many(a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) administrators and (d) other non-medical staff are employed by Welsh hospitals; and if he will make a statement; [29052]

  (2) what is the number of (a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) administrators and (d) other non-medical staff employed in extended community hospitals in Powys; and if he will make a statement. [29054]

  Mr. Richards
  Information is not available in the precise from requested. Details are collected only on a NHS trust, directly managed unit or health authority basis, and for non-medical staff the information does not differentiate between hospital and other staff, such as community based staff. The available information is given in the following table:

  Whole-time equivalent staff Powys Health Care NHS Trust

  Wales1

  Doctors2

  20

  2,723

  Nursing and midwifery staff3

  946

  24,702

  Administrators4

  212

  7,540

  Other non-medical staff5

  471

  13,610

  Notes:

  1 Excluding staff directly employed by ambulance trust (and ambulance staff employed by other Trusts/authorities), health purchasers (except one for which separate figures disaggregated from its constituent directly managed units are not available), family health service authorities and the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  2 Hospital medical staff, excluding hospital practitioners and clinical assistants. At 30 September 1994.

  3 Excluding pre-registration nurse learners. At 31 March 1995.

  4 Includes managers and all other administrative and clerical staff. At 31 March 1995.

  5 Professional and technical, works, maintenance and ancillay staff. At 31 March 1995.

  Hip Replacement Costs
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average cost of a hip replacement operation undertaken in Powys; and if he will make a statement. [29057]

  Mr. Richards
  Hip replacement operations are not undertaken within Powys. The service for residents of Powys is purchased from several hospitals in England and Wales.
  417
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average cost of a hip replacement operation in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [29062]

  Mr. Richards
  Information on treatment costs in contracts is not held centrally. Tariffs for treatment outside of contracts are published. Of the published tariffs specifically for hip replacements procedures, the average is £3,466.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the cost of administering the present prescription and exemption charges system in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [29058]

  Mr. Richards
  The information is as follows:

  Item

  Cost (£ million)

  Purchase of prescription forms for supply to doctors and dentists1

  0.08

  Pricing of prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and doctors2

  3.2

  1 Expenditure by family health service authorities, 1994. Other FHSA administration costs associated with the NHS prescription system and the charge exemption and remission arrangements are not separately identified.

  2 Expenditure by Prescription Pricing Services, April 1994—March 1995.

  The following are excluded from the above:

  (1) fees paid to doctors, dentists and pharmacists for professional services and expenditure on the drugs bill;

  (2) costs of operating the NHS low income scheme in Wales, which are not separately identified. The scheme provides remission of prescription charges and help with other NHS costs to eligible claimants and their dependents.

  Health Service Expenditure
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will express health service expenditure in Wales as a proportion of Welsh gross domestic product for(a) 1990–91, (b) 1993–94 and (c) 1994–95; and if he will make a statement. [29059]

  Mr. Richards
  The available information for Wales is given in the following table. Information for 1994–95 is not yet available.

  £ million at current prices

  1990–91

  1993–94

  (a) Net National Health Service expenditure

  1,491

  1,988

  (b) Gross domestic product1

  20,033

  22,761

  (a) As a percentage of (b)

  7.4

  8.7

  1 Gross Domestic Product is available for calendar years only (1990 and 1993).

  Salaried GPs
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioners in Wales are salaried; what proportion of general practitioners. in Wales this represents; what is the annual cost of employing these salaried general practitioners; and if he will make a statement. [29060]
  418
  Mr. Richards
  There are no general medical practitioners in Wales whose salaries are paid directly by family health service authorities.

  There were nine, out of 1,710, unrestricted principal GPs in Wales at 1 October 1994 who were "salaried partners": that is, their salary was paid by the partnership for whom they worked. The salaries of all assistant and trainee GPs—138 at 1 October 1994—are paid by the partnership for whom they work. Information on the cost of employing these staff is not available centrally.

  NHS Salaries
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of NHS expenditure in Wales goes on salaries; what proportion of the salaries bill is accounted for by non-medical staff; and if he will make a statement. [29061]

  Mr. Richards
  The following is the information:

  NHS Expenditure (Wales)

  £000

  Percentage

  NHS revenue expenditure in 1993–94 was:

  1,443,652

  —

  The amount spent on salaries was:

  951,937

  66

  The proportion of salaries bill accounted for by non-medical staff was:

  262,894

  28

  Source:

  Annual Accounts/Financial returns of DHAs, SHAs, FHSAs, NHS Trusts and Welsh Office records.

  Notes:

  1. 1993–94 data is provisional and the latest available.

  2. Expenditure on non-medical staff includes the salaries and wages of general and senior managers, administrators and clerks, ancillary, maintenance, ambulance and "other non-specified" employees in health authorities, SHAs, FHSAs and NHS trusts. The chairmen's and non-executive members remuneration is also included. The costs of GPs' administrative staff are not included in the "non-medical" calculation as this information is not separately collected.

  3. Non NHS staff (agency etc) are excluded from the non-medical staff proportion at this expenditure is not analysed by staff category.

  Welsh Assembly
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library all work undertaken by his Department on the subject of a Welsh Assembly since 1974. [30224]

  Mr. Redwood
  I do not have access to any departmental papers relating to that period of the Labour Government between 1974 and 1979. Such papers are subject to the provisions of the Public Record Acts 1958 and 1967. Consequently, those files selected for permanent preservation will normally be available for inspection at the Public Records Office, Kew, from January 2004.

  For the period since 1979 I am advised that no studies or other substantive work has been undertaken.

  West Wales Task Force
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the next meeting of the strategy group of the West Wales task force is to be held. [30249]

  Mr. Richards
  The next meeting of the West Wales task force will be held on Monday 24 July.

  Strategic Development Scheme
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce his plans for the strategic development scheme in 1996–97. [30936]

  Mr. Redwood
  A circular inviting local authorities to bid for support under the strategic development scheme is being issued today. I am making two important changes to the scheme following detailed consultations with the Council of Welsh Districts and the Assembly of County Councils: local authorities are being given full responsibility for approving and administering smaller schemes—I am setting aside approximately £13 million in 1996–97 for the purpose. I am introducing a new community strategy initiative specifically designed to tackle the most severe social problems in targeted areas. A copy of the circular has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when Councillor Handel Morgan of Gwynedd county council can expect to receive a reply to the letter he wrote to the Under-Secretary of State on 6 February, regarding his comments on officials of Gwynedd county council, or to his subsequent reminder on 7 March; and if the length of time taken to reply is in accordance with the provisions of the citizens charter. [28480]

  Mr. Richard
  [holding answer 19 June 1995]: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for drawing my attention to this matter. I have written to Cllr Morgan today, and have copied my reply to the hon. Gentleman.

  Financial Management Policy Reviews
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 18 May Official Report, column 373, if he will list any previous examples of financial management policy reviews not being completed; if he will list the civil service guidelines for the carrying out of financial management policy reviews with specific respect to their non-completion; if he will list the principal reasons for non-completion; what proposals he has for strengthening the guidelines for the conduct of such reviews with regard to aborted reviews and the procedure for dealing with them; and if he will make a statement. [27012]

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 6 June 1995]: General guidance on the conduct and coverage of financial management policy reviews is contained in "Non—Departmental Public Bodies. A Guide for Departments", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The guidance states that all reviews should be conducted in two distinct stages. Only after agreement has been reached on the recommendations of the first stage—the prior options review—will a review proceed to a second stage.

  As I announced in response to the question by my right hon. Friend the Member for Conwy (Sir W. Roberts) on 3 November 1994, Official Report, column 1329, the prior options review of the Countryside Council for Wales indicated that there could be scope for elected bodies to play an increased role in the delivery of certain of the council's functions. The second stage of the financial management policy review was therefore overtaken by a review of the council's functions.

SCOTLAND

  Scottish Ambulance Service
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met Mr. Freemantle of the Scottish Ambulance Service to discuss relations between the service and right hon. and hon. Members; what was the outcome of his discussions; and if he will make a statement. [28534]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has had no recent discussions with the chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service NHS trust, but the chief executive has met a number of right hon. and hon. Members this year and welcomes the opportunity for such meetings. If the hon. Gentleman has particular concerns regarding relations between the service and right hon. and hon. Members he should detail them and I shall ensure that they are investigated.

  Renfrew District Elderly Forum
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet Renfrew district elderly forum to discuss local government reform, water and sewerage services, concessionary travel schemes, standing charges on utilities and other topics of concern; and if he will make a statement. [28570]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet Renfrew district elderly forum. He is, however, aware of its concerns, many of which have recently been raised with him or his Ministers by organisations that represent older people, including elderly forums. I met Strathclyde elderly forum in January to discuss concerns about concessionary travel schemes.

  Care in the Community
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his willingness to support and fund(a) community and (b) staff-led co-operatives to provide care in the community in Scotland. [28531]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Direct financial support from the Scottish Office is generally provided to national voluntary organisations to assist with headquarters running costs and for innovative projects with potential national significance. Locally organised projects may be eligible for funding under the urban programme. Local authority social work departments have been given the responsibility and financial resources to develop and purchase high-quality, cost-effective services from a range of providers in response to local need. This could include staff-led co-operatives.

  Conservation Areas
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what considerations underlie the difference between planning application fees for minor developments within conservation areas for flatted dwellings and dwelling houses; and if he will amend regulations to equalise the fees. [29205]

  Mr. Lang
  Where a planning authority has, under the relevant legislation, removed permitted development rights in a conservation area, owners of dwelling houses
  421
  and flatted dwellings must submit a planning application for minor proposals. A planning fee is payable in the case of a dwelling house, but not in the case of a flatted dwelling. This accords with the position outwith conservation areas where a dwelling house would, subject to certain limitations, enjoy permitted development rights but planning proposals in flatted dwellings require planning permission and, accordingly, payment of a fee.

  The reason for the distinction is that alterations to flats are more likely to affect neighbouring interests and are not therefore granted the permitted development rights available to dwelling houses.

  Agricultural Grants
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the mean, median and standard deviation for the length of time between receiving a claim and the payment of a claim for each agricultural grant handled by his Department. [29455]

  Sir Hector Monro
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at

  Identifiable Local Authority Expenditure relating to fully staffed residential homes for older people: 1993–94 (provisional)

  £ thousand

  Borders

  Central

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Expenditure

  Employee costs

  2,720

  5,151

  4,330

  6,155

  9,936

  3,377

  Operating costs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Third party payments to private persons or companies

  410

  942

  486

  —

  —

  945

  Third party payments to voluntary bodies

  —

  76

  —

  —

  18

  215

  Other third party payments

  —

  136

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other operating costs

  740

  1,188

  993

  1,268

  2,057

  802

  Total (operating costs)

  1,150

  2,342

  1,479

  1,268

  2,075

  1,962

  Transfer payments

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Grants to private persons or companies

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Grants to voluntary bodies

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other transfer payments

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total (transfer payments)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total gross expenditure

  3,870

  7,493

  5,809

  7,423

  12,011

  5,339

  £ thousand

  Lothian

  Strahtclyde

  Tayside

  Orkney

  Shetland

  W Isles

  Scotland

  Expenditure

  Employee costs

  11,711

  34,343

  8,283

  902

  1,258

  1,617

  89,783

  Operating costs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Third party payments to private persons or companies

  1

  7,924

  1,355

  —

  312

  —

  12,375

  Third party payments to voluntary bodies

  2,370

  205

  270

  —

  —

  —

  3,154

  Other third party payments

  —

  7,148

  —

  —

  5

  —

  7,289

  Other operating costs

  2,655

  10,029

  2,330

  191

  0

  603

  22,856

  Total (operating costs)

  5,026

  25,306

  3,955

  191

  317

  603

  45,674

  Transfer payments

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Grants to private persons or companies

  26

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  26

  Grants to voluntary bodies

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other transfer payments

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total (transfer payments)

  26

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total gross expenditure

  16,763

  59,649

  12,338

  1,093

  1,575

  2,220

  135,483

  Source:

  Local financial returns made by local authorities to Scottish Office.
  422
  disproportionate cost. Targets for the payment of claims for grants and subsidies are set out in the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department's charter standard statement entitled "Serving Scottish Farmers". A second edition was published on 21 June. In 1993–94, the Department attained a performance rate of 90 per cent. or above for the majority of the targets set out in the first edition of "Serving Scottish Farmers". I will report on performance for 1994–95 later this year.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total expenditure in 1993–94 by each local authority from placements of old people in(a) registered and (b) unregistered independent residential care and nursing homes, inside and outside the local authority area and from placements in local authority homes for older people; and if he will break down by income from (1) Government grants, inside aggregate external finance and outside aggregate external finance, (2) sales, (3) fees and charges, (4) other income and (5) joint arrangements. [28992]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information is shown in the following table:

  Sand-eel Fishery
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vessels are employed in monitoring the sand-eel fishery around Shetland and in the west of Scotland waters. [29344]

  Mr. Lang
  The Scottish Office marine laboratory would normally deploy one of its research vessels to help with any necessary stock assessment. In addition, the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency deploys a number of vessels on surveillance and enforcement duties. These include four offshore fishery patrol vessels augmented by a similar Royal Navy vessel and two inshore launches. Their tasking covers the sand-eel fisheries but is not exclusively so.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are being taken to monitor the age, composition and size of fish in each catch of sand-eels around Shetland. [29343]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 19 June 1995]: The Scottish Office marine laboratory in Aberdeen is analysing daily samples from the Shetland fishery on the basis of age and length composition.

  Wild Mink
  Mrs. Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the damage done to marine birdlife by wild mink. [29624]

  Sir Hector Monro
  My right hon. Friend has received advice from Scottish Natural Heritage on the impact of mink on Scottish wildlife. The species is an active predator and established itself in the wild after escaping from mink farms as long ago as 1929. Research results indicate that the mink has generally not had a serious effect on our wildlife although there remains concern about its possible effect on some colonies of ground-nesting seabirds.

  Mrs. Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance his Department has issued to relevant authorities on the control of wild mink populations; what controls are already in place; and where they are being carried out. [29621]

  Sir Hector Monro
  Guidance on the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was issued in 1991 in a circular to local authorities and other relevant organisations. Under that Act it is an offence to release mink or to allow mink to escape into the wild. The Mink (Keeping) Regulations 1975 also apply strict requirements to mink farming to prevent escapes from adding to the wild mink population. In addition there are voluntary efforts to trap mink by groups such as the Argyll bird club and the Harris and Lewis mink control group.

  Mrs. Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated population of wild mink in(a) Scotland (b) Argyll and Bute for the years (i) 1992, (ii) 1993 and (iii) 1994. [29623]

  Sir Hector Monro
  It was estimated recently that there are some 50,000 wild mink in Scotland. Further details requested are not available.

  Fatal Accident Inquiry
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will be in a position to state whether there is to be a fatal accident inquiry into the death of a constituent of the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow in a traffic accident in East shaw street, Greenock on 21 April; and if he will make a statement. [29306]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The death to which the hon. Member refers has been reported to the procurator fiscal at Greenock, and he is inquiring into the circumstances. Members of the deceased's family were interviewed on 7 and 8 June. The procurator fiscal anticipates that his inquiries will be completed by the end of June.

  Boundary Commission Review
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedures there are for changing the name of a parliamentary constituency between Parliamentary Boundary Commission reviews; and if he will make a statement. [30292]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Recommendations as to the names of parliamentary constituencies in Scotland are a matter for the Boundary Commission for Scotland alone. The commission is empowered to undertake interim reviews of constituencies, between general reviews, as it sees fit.

  Police
  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of police officers per 1,000 population in Grampian region and in Gordon district. [30012]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The regular police establishment per 1,000 population in Grampian region is 2.21 as at 31 March 1995. The information for Gordon district is not available.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the average number of police officers per 1,000 population in Scotland. [30011]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The authorised regular police establishment per 1,000 population in Scotland is 2.77 as at 31 March 1995.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the location and number of rural police stations in Scotland that have been closed over the past 10 years. [30013]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not held centrally. Closure of police stations is a matter for the chief constable and police authority of the force area concerned.

  Farmwatch
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by region the number of farmwatch schemes operating in Scotland; and what provision his Department has undertaken to encourage farmers to join this scheme. [30014]
  425
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information by region is not held centrally, but the number of schemes by police force area is as follows:

  Central Scotland police

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway constabulary

  14

  Fife constabulary

  —

  Grampian police

  34

  Lothian and Borders police

  8

  Northern constabulary

  1

  Strathclyde police

  —

  Tayside police

  58

  Farmwatch schemes, in common with a wide range of other watch schemes, continue to increase in number and operate in close co-operation with individual police forces. The demand for, and development of, such schemes are essentially driven by farming communities in the light of their perception of local circumstances.

  Ayr County Hospital
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for how long the old Ayr county hospital building has been empty; what action has been taken to protect its fabric; what action has been taken to find a new use for it; when he expects it to be re-occupied; and if he will make a statement. [30023]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Ayr county hospital was closed on 31 October 1991 and has been empty since that date. The fabric of the building has been maintained throughout this time in a wind and watertight condition. The hospital has been deemed surplus to requirements by Ayrshire and Arran health board and an offer has been accepted from a property developer who should take possession of the property in December 1995.

  "Granny Flats"
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the effect of the English High Court decision by Mr. Justice Ognall on the separate valuation for council tax purposes of annexs set aside for elderly relatives in respect of Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [30024]

  Mr. Kynoch
  In Scotland, this matter is regulated by section 72 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, which defines a chargeable dwelling for council tax purposes. Although each case is assessed on its merits, it is our understanding that assessors generally enter such dwellings separately in the valuation list. Any dispute or question over an assessor's interpretation of section 72 is a matter for the relevant valuation appeal committee and ultimately for the courts.

  Electoral Ward Names
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedures there are for changing an electoral ward name in a new unitary authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kynoch
  There are no statutory procedures for changing the name of an electoral ward. The usual practice is that names of electoral wards are included by local authorities in any proposals made in the course of a review 426
  of local government electoral arrangements by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Proposals for changes to electoral areas, including the name of electoral wards are subject to wide public consultation. The first review of electoral arrangements in respect of the new unitary authorities will commence as soon as practicable after 1 April 1996 with the aim of completing the review in time for the next election in 1999.

  Crofters
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to amend the crofter building grants and loans scheme; and if he will make a statement. [30040]

  Sir Hector Monro
  My Department has no plans at present to introduce changes to the assistance available through the crofters building grants and loans scheme.

  HIV
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much compensation has been paid to people in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland who contracted HIV from contaminated blood products; how many people have received compensation; and how many were haemophiliacs. [28323]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 20 June 1995]: Payments totalling £4,050,000 have been made to 75 patients in Scotland who were infected with HIV through NHS treatment with blood, blood products or tissue transfer. Sixty three of these were haemophiliacs. Information available is on an all-Scotland basis and does not separately identify individuals according to area of residence.

  NHS (Private Sector Involvement)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Donohoe) of 12 June,Official Report, column 367–68, what is the estimated cost of the process of seeking private sector partners to design, build and financeo the new facilities in Edinburgh and Lanarkshire; and what are the non-clinical services referred to. [29583]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The process of seeking private sector partners is not yet complete in the Edinburgh and Lanarkshire trusts, so final costs cannot yet be provided. However, two of the trusts have indicated that they expect the cost of the entire process to be between 0.5 per cent. and 0.75 per cent. of the total capital cost. The non-clinical services referred to include estates services, building maintenance, hotel services, supplies, laundry, theatre sterile supplies, medical records, transport services, security car parking, grounds and gardens, switchboard services and information technology. Not all of the services include every one of these areas.

  Multiple Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sets of(a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets and (e) sextuplets were born in Scotland in each year from 1990 to 1994; what was the total number of

  427
  maternities in Scotland in each year; and how many multiple births of each type in each year were conceived as a result of (i) in-vitro fertilisation, (ii) gamete infra-fallopian transfer and (iii) other forms of assisted conception; and if he will make a statement. [29528]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The information is as follows:

  Type of birth

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994 (Prov)

  Twins:

  2 live

  711

  682

  790

  751

  762

  1 live, 1 stillbirth

  15

  22

  11

  25

  13

  2 stillbirth

  5

  5

  6

  4

  3

  Triplets:

  3 live

  14

  18

  15

  10

  16

  2 live, 1 stillbirth

  2

  4

  —

  —

  —

  1 live, 2 stillbirth

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  3 stillbirth

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Quadruplets:

  4 live

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  3 live, 1 stillbirth

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Quintuplets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sextuplets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total maternities

  65,556

  66,630

  65,307

  62,946

  61,224

  Information on the number of multiple births in Scotland attributed to assisted reproduction is not available. Some information on these matters is published in the three annual reports of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and in earlier reports of the interim licensing authority, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Ayrshire and Arran Health Board
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) who were the members of the sub-committee of the members of the board of Ayrshire and Arran health board which oversaw the negotiations between Irvine Healthcare Ltd. and the health board prior to the conclusion of the current contract; [29697]

  (2) when Ayrshire and Arran health board first entered negotiations with Irvine Healthcare Ltd. on the provision of a replacement facility for Ravenspark hospital; [29689]

  (3) when the members of the board of Ayrshire and Arran health board approved the contract with Irvine Healthcare Ltd.; and when the contract with the company was formally concluded; [29680]

  (4) if he will make available the detail of the agreement between Ayrshire and Arran health board and Irvine Healthcare Ltd. as regards the siting of the company's facility within the grounds of Ayrshire central hospital and the financial agreement allowing the lease of the site from the Ayrshire and Arran Community NHS Healthcare trust and the period covered by the contract with the company; [29696]

  (5) what current contracts exist between Ayrshire and Arran health board and private and independent sectors for the provision of care beds to the NHS ounder contract; what are the companies involved in these contracts; what is the value of the individual contracts, and when they will lapse; [29684]
  428
  (6) what investigations Ayrshire and Arran health board has carried out into the patient care record of Irvine Healthcare Ltd.; and what monitoring processes will be put in place to ensure effective standards of patient care; [29686]

  (7) what process was adopted by the Ayrshire and Arran health board to publicise its interest in involving the private sector in the building of the replacement facility at Ravenspark hospital; and what private companies indicated their interest in this contract; [29690]

  (8) how Irvine Healthcare Ltd. first indicated an interest with the Ayrshire and Arran health board as regards its involvement with a replacement facility for Ravenspark hospital. [29692]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: These matters are for Ayrshire and Arran health board. The hon. Member may wish to write to the general manager of the board.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct Ayrshire and Arran health board to make publicly available copies of its contract with Irvine Healthcare Ltd. [29681]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: No.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what current guidance exists and what guidance existed between 1993 and the present time to Scottish health boards relating to the tendering arrangements for medical facilities within the NHS. [29683]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: Various guidance exists on appraising projects and the private finance initiative. Guidance will shortly be issued on tendering arrangements for privately financed projects.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps Ayrshire and Arran health board has taken to appoint a new general manager; and whether any decision has been taken on his successor. [29685]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: Ayrshire and Arran health board is actively considering the arrangements for a successor to Mr. J. M. Eckford OBE who retires later this year. Part of these arrangements will be public advertisement of the post. No decisions have been taken on Mr. Eckford's successor.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to begin the consultation on the closure of Ravenspark hospital; and what steps Ayrshire and Arran health board have taken to prepare the arrangements for the consultation process. [29687]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: Consultations on hospital closures are the responsibility of the health board concerned. Ayrshire and Arran health board is aware of the requirements for consultation set out in NHS circular GEN(1975)46.

  The final decision on any hospital closure in Scotland rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance was issued to Ayrshire and Arran health board prior to 24 February 1993 by the national
  429
  health service management executive concerning entering into long-term contracts with the private or independent sectors for the provision of continuing care beds; and whether this guidance is compatible with the board's decision to conclude a contract with Irvine Healthcare Ltd. for the provision of a replacement facility for Ravenspark hospital. [29691]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The NHS management executive advised the board in late 1992 that it should not enter into long-term contracts with the private sector which would constrain its ability to meet changing needs. It gave approval to conclude the contract with Irvine Care Ltd. on 13 July 1994.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what representations Ayrshire and Arran health board received from the Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS trust as regards the board's negotiations with Irvine Healthcare Ltd. for the provision of a replacement facility for Ravenspark hospital; [29693]

  (2) what representations the Scottish Office or the national health service management executive has received from the Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS trust on the contract between Ayrshire and Arran health board and Irvine Healthcare Ltd. [29682]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The chief executive of the trust wrote on 9 February 1995 and received a response from the director of trusts in the NHS management executive on 3 March 1995.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the involvement of the National Health Service Management Executive in the conclusion of the contract between Ayrshire and Arran health board and Irvine Healthcare Ltd.; and on what specific issues they made representations to the health board about this contract; [29695]

  (2) what discussions the Scottish Office had with Ayrshire and Arran health board relating to its contract with Irvine Healthcare Ltd.; and what was the subject of these discussions. [29675]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The NHS management executive has had a number of discussions with officers of the health board between late 1992 and the present. They concerned the health board's assessment of the needs of its local population for the service to be provided under this contract, the quality of the service and its value for money.

  Conclusion of the contract was a matter for the health board.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the private and independent sectors concerning the provision of continuing care beds to the NHS and their involvement in private finance initiatives. [29674]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 20 June 1995]: My officials have had a number of discussions with various parties interested in the private finance initiative. Such discussions are of a general nature.
  430
  The commissioning of particular schemes is the responsibility of the health board or NHS trust concerned.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment his Department and the national health service management executive has made of the financial terms of Ayrshire and Arran health board's contract with Irvine Healthcare Ltd. [29676]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The health board submitted an option appraisal covering the project to the NHS management executive. This was considered by the NHS management executive in line with normal procedures.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Scottish Office and the National Health Service Management Executive gave final approval to Ayrshire and Arran health board to the contract which it has concluded with Irvine Healthcare Ltd. [29677]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The NHS management executive wrote to the general manager of Ayrshire and Arran health board on 13 July 1994 giving approval for the contract to he concluded.

  Mr. Donhoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Irvine Healthcare Ltd. or its parent company Speciality Care PLC are currently involved in negotiations with any Scottish health boards other than Ayrshire and Arran concerning the provision of long-term care beds under contract to the NHS. [29678]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: This information is not held centrally. Negotiations on contracts are a matter for individual health boards.

  Mr. Donhoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration underlay the decision to exclude the Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS trust from tendering for the replacement facility for Ravenspark hospital; and if this decision was in line with guidance from the national health service management executive at that time. [29694]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS trust was not established when tendering took place. The trust was established in April 1993.

  Tendering submissions were made in late 1991.

  Lanarkshire Development Agency
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he proposes to the representation on the hoard of Lanarkshire Development Agency to facilitate representation for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth; whom he will consult; and if he will make a statement. [29748]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: The boards of local enterprise companies are appointed by the enterprise bodies, not by my right hon. Friend. The members of the board serve as individuals, not as representatives of any particular interest. Where local enterprise company boundaries are due to change on

  431
  1 April 1996, Scottish Enterprise will be taking steps to ensure that the composition of the local enterprise company board is consistent with its new geographical area.

  Gaelic Broadcasting
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost to his Department in each of the past three years of promoting Gaelic 432
  broadcasting; and what is the projected cost for the current financial year. [29750]

  Sir Hector Monro
  [holding answer 21 June 1995]: Government support for Gaelic broadcasting over the past three years is given in the table. The projected expenditure in the current financial year is £8,930,000.

  1992–93: £9,500,000

  1993–94: £9,500,000

  1994–95: £8,738,000

  Dental Services
  Dental Services
  Psychiatric Hospitals: Survey Report
  Psychiatric Hospitals: Survey Report
  Future Medical Technology and the NHS
  Future Medical Technology and the NHS
  Sail-Training Scheme: Renaissance Maritime Charitable Trust
  Sail-Training Scheme: Renaissance Maritime Charitable Trust
  Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  G7 Meeting
  G7 Meeting
  Domestic Violence: Victim Support Services
  Domestic Violence: Victim Support Services
  Domestic Violence: Women Sentenced for Murder
  Domestic Violence: Women Sentenced for Murder
  Domestic Violence: Studies and Reports
  Domestic Violence: Studies and Reports
  Mr. Kani Yilmaz
  Mr. Kani Yilmaz
  Sentenced Prisoners: Fine Defaulters
  Sentenced Prisoners: Fine Defaulters
  EC's Fourth Framework Programme
  EC's Fourth Framework Programme
  European Convention on Human Rights: Provisional Files
  European Convention on Human Rights: Provisional Files
  Local Authorities: Budgets
  Local Authorities: Budgets
  Local Government: Reviews
  Local Government: Reviews
  Planning Appeals: Conduct Guidance
  Planning Appeals: Conduct Guidance