Written Answers of 6 March 1995

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mr. A. K. Talwar
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he would make a statement on the circumstances of the dismissal of Mr. A. K. Talwar from his post as a junior doctor at Craigavon area hospital in July 1992.

  Mr. Moss
  It is inappropriate for Ministers to become involved or comment on a matter which rests between the employer and the individual concerned. The question has been copied to the chairman of Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust, who has undertaken to write to the hon. Gentleman.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Wheeler
  At 1 January 1994, 1,300 staff in the Northern Ireland civil service—4.3 per cent. of the service—self-reported a disability. Of these 476,—1.6 per cent. of the service—were, or had been, registered as disabled. In addition, 81 registered disabled people are working in the Northern Ireland civil service under the employment support programme.

  Of the home civil service staff in the Northern Ireland Office, one person is known to be registered disabled—0.45 per cent. of the work force.

  Social Security Policy
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will detail the main differences in the application of social security policy in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Moss
  Northern Ireland maintains parity with Great Britain on social security policy and legislation. The social security schemes and the conditions for receiving them are therefore the same as those which apply in Great Britain, except in respect of council tax benefit legislation.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Redundant Churches, Lancashire
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, how many redundant churches there are in Lancashire which are earmarked for sale.
  2
  Mr. Alison
  Three redundant churches and one redundant church site in Lancashire are earmarked for sale.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Custody Statistics
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the number and percentage of defendants remanded in custody and committed for trial at the Crown court who were dealt with within 16 weeks in each year since the Prosecution of Offences (Custody Time Limits) Regulations 1987 came into force.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Information about the statutory time limits is not collected in the form requested. However, of the 23,749 defendants remanded in custody awaiting trial who were dealt with during 1994, 74.2 per cent.—about 17,630 defendants—waited less than 16 weeks. It is not possible to provide an accurate comparable figure for earlier periods.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has for improving control over the granting of criminal legal aid in magistrates courts.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  A number of measures are in hand. In particular, the Lord Chancellor has today laid before Parliament regulations requiring justices clerks to keep records of all applications for criminal legal aid, showing the reasons for deciding whether individual applications should be granted or refused. These regulations will come into force on 1 May 1995.

  Lay Representation
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary; Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to extend the provisions for lay advocacy in the county courts; and when a timetable for this project will be set.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The situation is under review. If proposals to extend the current arrangements for lay representation in the county courts are pursued, they would be put out to public consultation.

  Civil Proceedings
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy to ensure that civil proceedings in respect of which the causes of action arise in the counties of Clwyd, Gwynedd, Powys and Cheshire can be tried at all stages within the Mold/Chester group of courts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Rules of court govern the venue for commencement of civil proceedings. Once a case is under way it may be automatically transferred to the court where the defendant lives, or, by order of a judge, to any other court. In the light of these rules, it is not possible to say that all cases where the cause of action arises in the counties listed will be tried in the Mold/Chester group of courts.
  3
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the future venues for civil proceedings in respect of which the causes of action arise in the counties of Clwyd, Gwynedd, Powys and Cheshire.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor has no current proposals to change the venue rules. Any proposed changes in the future will be subject to the usual consultation process.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Border Controls
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 27 February,Official Report, columns 394–95, if Her Majesty's Government are seeking to be orally represented in their own right before the European Court of Justice at the oral hearing requested by the Commission in the matter regarding the abolition of border controls.

  Mr. David Davis
  We have submitted our written observations to the court, and intend to attend the oral hearing.

  EU Human Rights Budget
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the size of the European Union approved budget for human rights work in countries in transition; and if groups in Hong Kong may apply for the use of this money.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The European Parliament added a new "remark" to the 1995 budget line B7-5240 to the effect that the budget line could be used to
  "promote the protection of human rights in countries where there is soon to be a change of sovereignty."
  We understand that the budget line, which is available for subsidies to certain activities of organisations pursuing human rights objectives, will be worth about 5 million ecu. It is for the European Commission to consider how much, if any, of this money will be spent on territories referred to by the European Parliament's remark. We understand that groups in Hong Kong may be eligible to apply for the use of this money.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Davis
  I have no immediate plans to do so.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar as to holding a constitutional conference to consider reforms to the 1969 constitution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Davis
  None. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs confirmed to the Chief Minister in a letter on 13 February that he would be willing to listen to the views of Gibraltarians and the Gibraltar Government on how the constitution might be developed. But we have always made clear that any changes would have to be realistic in the circumstances of Gibraltar.

  Turkey
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent evaluation Her Majesty's Government have conducted in respect of the human rights situation in Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Davis
  Turkey's human rights performance has long given cause for concern. We monitor the situation closely and take every opportunity to express our concerns to the Turkish authorities and to point out the need for reform.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received in the last three years from Kurdish groups situated in the United Kingdom regarding the position of Kurds living in Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Davis
  We have received numerous representations in the last three years from Kurdish groups situated in the United Kingdom regarding the position of Kurds living in Turkey. We take every opportunity to make clear to the Turkish authorities our concern at the human rights abuses arising from the conflict in south-east Turkey.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received about the position of Kurds living in Turkey in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Davis
  We have received numerous representations in the last three years about the position of Kurds living in Turkey. We take every opportunity to make known to the Turkish authorities our concern at the human rights abuses arising from the conflict in south-east Turkey.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he proposes to make to the Turkish authorities regarding the recent failure of six Kurdish Members of Parliament to have their appeal upheld; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Davis
  The Kurdish Members of Parliament exercised their right to appeal against the sentences imposed on them in Ankara last December. We understand no date has yet been set for a further hearing.

  Global Sex Trade
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to raise the issue of global sex trade in women and children at(a) the United Nations conference on women in Beijing and (b) the UN social summit in Copenhagen.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The draft declaration and programme of action to be negotiated at the world summit for social development in Copenhagen already address the issue of sexual exploitation. We support this and hope that such language will he strengthened at the fourth world conference on women in Beijing later this year.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Amre Moussa, Foreign Minister of Egypt, to discuss the Lockerbie situation; and what contact he has had since.
  5
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have regular discussions with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, most recently on 21 November 1994.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs following his undertaking given in Glasgow on 3 February to look into the claims made by the Bradford police surgeon, Dr. David Fieldhouse, what action he has taken to verify Dr. Fieldhouse's claims about the body count at Lockerbie on 21, 22 and 23 December 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs undertook to look into the apparent difference between a reply he gave to a question from the hon. Member for Linlithgow during the Adjournment debate on 1 February and Dr. Fieldhouse's subsequent statement. He wrote to Dr. Fieldhouse on 13 February explaining the basis for his reply. He has also written to the hon. Member about this issue.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has sought from Juge Bruguière in France, in relation to the UTA case, with particular reference to support for a Libyan connection for Lockerbie.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have had regular contact with Juge Bruguière about the UTA case ever since he began his inquiry, in the course of which he has issued warrants in respect of several Libyan nationals.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will enter into discussions with Dr. Esmat Abdul Meguid with a view to resolving the Lockerbie case.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I discussed the Lockerbie issue with Dr. Meguid, the Secretary General of the Arab League, in November 1994. Her Majesty's ambassador at Cairo has regular discussions with Dr Meguid.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs following the court case, Air Malta v. Granada Television, and pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer of 31 January, Official Report, column 558, what evidence has been found to substantiate a Malta connection with the Lockerbie bombing.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Two Libyan nationals are accused of having placed, or having caused to be placed, the bomb which destroyed flight PA 103 on board an Air Malta flight from Luqa airport on 21 December 1988. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I cannot comment on the detail of the evidence against the two accused while criminal proceedings are pending. The recent out-of-court settlement between Air Malta and Granada Television has no bearing on the prosecution case against the two accused. I understand that the story in relation to which Air Malta brought the action was based on allegations different in detail from those contained in the warrants for the arrest of the two Libyans accused.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given to evidence involving officials of countries other than Libya in relation to Lockerbie; and what efforts Her Majesty's Government have made to obtain such evidence concerning nationals of countries, other than Libya, undertaken on 20 January 1992,Official Report, column 159.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Lockerbie investigators have given exhaustive consideration to all information relevant 6
  to the Lockerbie bombing. The possible involvement by nationals of a number of countries has been very closely investigated. Despite the unprecedented scale of the investigation, the available evidence does not support charges against the nationals of any country besides Libya. But the investigation remains open and any relevant new information will be considered.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason Her Majesty's Government supported the United States decision that the Montreal convention, requiring attempts at conciliation and arbitration, should not be applied in relation to Pan Am 103 and Lockerbie; and what the preferred action was through the UN Security Council.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The question of the applicability of the Montreal convention is pending before the International Court of Justice. We and the US Government referred to the UN Security Council Libya's failure to surrender the two accused of the Lockerbie bombing in view of the frequently expressed concerns of the United Nations about the effect of terrorism on international peace and security.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had from Esmat Abdul Meguid on the issue of Libya's position in relation to the Lockerbie case.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave on 18 January,Official Report, column 497.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the German Government the refusal of the Federal Republic of Germany to join the United States and United Kingdom indictment in respect of Lockerbie; and what grounds Volke Rath, the German public prosecutor, gave for the decision.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Lockerbie bombing was a crime committed against a United States aircraft over Scotland. It is logical and right that the trial of those accused should take place in one of those two countries. I understand that Mr Rath has stated that he does not have sufficient evidence against the two accused to bring proceedings in Germany. In so stating, he was merely referring to the evidence available to him as part of the investigation by him as the state prosecutor at Frankfurt.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice was sought from Her Majesty's Government by the German Government on the reply that they should give to the letter to Bundeskanzler Helmut Kohl, in German, from a German national, Elizabeth Mosey, mother of a Lockerbie victim, of 23 January; and what advice was given by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has given to the Council of Europe Assembly following the enquiries of 25 January from the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy), about the accuracy of British information in relation to Lockerbie and Libya.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I replied to the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy) on 6 February.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral statement of 1 February,Official Report, column 1058, on Lockerbie, whether he will place in the Library the

  7
  records of the exchanges between the Scottish Police and the Bundeskriminalamt and the Verfassungschutz on this issue of whether Scottish detectives could directly question Mr. Ghadanfar and Mr. Dalkomoni in relation to the destruction of Pan Am 103.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There was no question of Scottish detectives directly questioning these persons. In common with many countries, Germany does not permit foreign investigators to conduct interviews on individuals in Germany, but permits interviews to be carried out at the request of foreign authorities by German police, prosecutors or judges as appropriate.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he took on reports emanating from the East German News Agency, broadcast by English News from Moscow, that the type of fuse used in the Lockerbie bombing was one of a small number made by a Swiss firm, which went to the East Germans.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I am not aware of the reports to which the hon. Gentleman refers. It would in any event be inappropriate to comment on details of investigative steps taken while criminal proceedings are pending.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter of 9 December 1993 to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, if he will discuss with the German Government the visit to Germany of the Iranian Intelligence Minister, Mr. Fallahian, and subsequent visits by Iranian Ministers at which the destruction of Pan Am 103 was discussed.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have regular discussions with the German Government on a wide range of issues of mutual interest. I am not aware that the destruction of Pan Am 103 has been the subject of discussion between the German authorities and Mr. Fallahian.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the basis for his assertion on 3 February at the Scottish Oils Club's annual dinner that a trial relating to Lockerbie would be prejudiced by a public inquiry.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There has already been a public inquiry into the circumstances of the deaths—the fatal accident inquiry held from October 1990 to February 1991. A further public inquiry could hardly fail to encroach upon areas of evidence which can only properly be made public in the context of a criminal trial, where the accused are legally represented and are able to test the strength of the evidence. The public examination of such areas of evidence in any other public forum prior to the criminal trial would prejudice any future prosecution.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the statements by the Government of Iran in the possession of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the skies would rain blood on America, as a result of the shooting down of an Iranian Airbus by the USS Vincennes.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My Department does not have in its possession any such formal statements by the Government of Iran. However, we are aware of an unattributed comment on similar lines broadcast on Tehran Radio in July 1988.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was last in contact with the Government of Finland about the identity of a8
  caller to the US embassy in Helsinki on 5 December 1988, warning that within two weeks a bomb would be carried on to an American airliner from Frankfurt, destination New York.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The credibility of this warning was examined by police officers involved in the Lockerbie investigation, who travelled to Helsinki for this purpose. It was discounted at an early stage of the investigation. We have not therefore pursued this further with the Finnish Government.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he is giving to the death of a British subject, Mr. Prazak, on 22 December 1992, on a Libyan airliner on an internal flight in the light of approaches from Mrs. Felicity Prazak, a British citizen.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I was very sad to hear of Mr. Prazak's death. In March 1994 permission was granted for settlement of insurance claims due to families of victims of the crash.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's communications with the solicitors of Pan Am, Windels, Marx, Davies and Ives, regarding aspects of the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It would not be proper to comment on such communications.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral answer of 1 February, to the right hon. Member for Tweedale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Sir D. Steel),Official Report, column 1062, what further assessment he has made, following the letter of 3 February from Professor R. Black of the Law Faculty of Edinburgh university on whether legislation would be necessary to allow those suspected of the Lockerbie crime to be tried elsewhere than Scotland or the United States of America.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I replied to Professor Black on 28 February. The question of whether legislation might be necessary to facilitate a trial of the two accused outside Scotland or the United States is in any event immaterial. They should appear before the appropriate United Kingdom or United States court, as confirmed by the United Nations Security Council.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conclusions he has drawn from the case of Air Malta v. Granada Television in relation to Lockerbie.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Two Libyan nationals are accused of having placed, or having caused to be placed, the bomb which destroyed flight PA 103 on board an Air Malta flight from Luqa Airport on 21 December 1988. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I cannot comment on the detail of the evidence against the two accused while criminal proceedings are pending. The recent out-of-court settlement between Air Malta and Granada Television has no bearing on the prosecution case against the two accused. I understand that the story in relation to which Air Malta brought the action was based on allegations different in detail from those contained in the warrants for the arrest of the two Libyans accused.

  Abdul Ghadanfar
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date Her Majesty's Government were informed by the German Government of the decision to free Abdul Ghadanfar in November 1994.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is not normal practice for one Government to inform another about the release from its prison of the nationals of third countries, unless there are outstanding judicial requests concerning particular individuals. Since no such requests existed in the case of Mr. Ghadanfar, there was no reason for the German Government to inform us of his release.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he was informed of and consulted about the release of and the decision to free Abdul Ghadanfar by the German authorities in November 1994; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is not normal practice for one Government to inform another about the release from its prison of the nationals of third countries, unless there are outstanding judicial requests concerning particular individuals. Since no such requests existed in the case of Mr. Ghadanfar, there was no reason for the German Government to inform us of his release.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the request by the Scottish police to interview Abdul Ghadartfar was transmitted to the German Government.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Disclosure of the fact that Messrs Ghadanfar and Dalkamouni were interviewed was an exceptional step taken only because of the unwarranted criticisms which had been, and were continuing to be, made of the German authorities and the Scottish police. It would not be appropriate to go beyond this by discussing details of confidential communications between the Scottish police and prosecuting authorities and their counterparts in Germany, or indeed in any other country.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Goodlad
  As at 1 January 1995, the percentage of registered disabled people employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including the Overseas Development Administration and its agency, was 0.71 per cent. Figures for non-registered disabled people in the FCO-ODA are not available.

  Sanctions (Libya)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which states on the continent of Africa support UN sanctions against Libya.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  When Security Council resolution 883, which strengthened sanctions against Libya, was adopted in November 1993, Cape Verde then President of the Security Council voted in favour of the resolution; Dijbouti and Morocco abstained. Egypt and Sudan were also in attendance, without the right to vote, and both spoke against the resolution. There has been no relevant vote at the UN since then.

  Treaty on European Union
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library those sections of the report of Her Majesty's Government under section 5 of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993 concerning the social economic and environmental goals specified in article 2 of the Treaty on European Union.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I have been asked to reply.

  Chapters 4, 5 and 6 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" form the report to Parliament for the purposes of section 5 of the European Communities Amendment Act. In order to comply with the requirements of articles 103(3) and 104c of the treaty on European Union, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor wrote to Mr. de Silguy at the European Commission on 2 March 1995, enclosing copies of the Budget statement, the 1995–96 FSBR, the March 1995 excessive deficits return and the information required under section 4 of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993. A copy of this letter with attachments has been placed in the Library.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The latest available figures show that 14 staff employed by my Department, excluding our two agencies, identified themselves as disabled. This represents 3.8 per cent. of all staff.

DEFENCE

  Outside Appointments
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the mechanism whereby staff in his Department report approaches from outside employers offering employment; and how these reports of approaches or job offers are differentiated from applications under the business appointment rules.

  Mr. Freeman
  Staff considering any approach from an outside employer offering employment for which approval would be required under the business appointment rules are required to report the approach to an officer two grades higher in their line management chain. Staff in sections concerned with procurement or contract work are required to report any such approach whether or not they are considering taking it up. Applications to accept outside appointments require the completion of a detailed application form and are considered centrally.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff working in sections concerned with procurement or contract work, and at what grades, have left his Department since February 1993(a) to retire and (b) to take other employment.
  11
  Mr. Freeman
  Our records do not categorise retirements and resignations by the type of work in which the individuals were last engaged. In any event, staff, other than very senior staff, are not required to advise the Department of their future employment plans except where this involves certain types of employment such as defence-related industries or companies with which they have had official contact during their service with the Department.

  Procurement
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many persons and at what grades, work in sections concerned with procurement or contract work.

  Mr. Freeman
  No central record is kept of the number of staff in my Department who are wholly or partly employed in the many areas concerned with procurement, and the information could not therefore be provided. The numbers and grades at executive officer level and above in sections, other than those in the separate defence agencies, directly involved with contracts work are as follows:

  Grade

  Number employed

  Grade 3

  1

  Grade 4

  3

  Grade 5

  18

  Grade 6

  46

  Grade 7

  56

  SEO

  172

  HEO

  368

  EO

  540

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was his response to the communication sent by Colonel James Sullivan of the office of the Secretary of the United States Air Force on 17 November 1994 concerning the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie.

  Mr. Soames
  None. My right hon. and learned Friend received no such communication.

  Maurice Callejas
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence between what dates Maurice Callejas served in the Royal Artillery.

  Mr. Soames
  Although it is not normally our practice to disclose such information, my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence would be happy to look into any matters concerning this individual if the hon. Member were to write to him with the background.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  My Department monitors its civilian staff to gather data on those who have a disability, for which they may or may not be registered. The results from the monitoring show that, on 1 October last year, 5.1 per 12
  cent. of the civilian staff employed by the Ministry of Defence and its agencies has some form of disability. Of these, 1.3 per cent. were registered disabled.

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department(a) hold open meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises without commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether, in each of the above categories, this is (i) under statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary.

  Mr. Soames
  Of the advisory non departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department, the advisory committee on conscientious objectors holds open meetings on a voluntary basis, for which it publishes agendas.

  Falklands War
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the differentials between levels of compensatory payments made to officers and other ranks for deaths and serious injuries suffered in the Falklands War; and what steps have been taken since to reduce these differentials.

  Mr. Soames
  The armed forces pension scheme administered by my Department provides occupational pension benefits for the eligible dependants of those killed in war, and to personnel who are invalided from service as a result of injuries sustained in war.

  The invaliding and dependants' pension benefits for personnel injured or killed due to service are paid at enhanced levels to provide a guaranteed minimum level of income. The rates of pension are based on representative rates of pay for each rank, since AFPS benefits, like many other occupational pension schemes, are salary-related. The level of award for those attributably invalided also takes into account the degree of disability. There will therefore be differences in the level of awards for all ranks, whether they are officers or other ranks.

  Invalidity and death benefits for service personnel are being considered in a general review of the AFPS being undertaken at present as part of the independent review of armed forces' manpower, career and remuneration structures by Mr. Michael Bett.

  War disability pensions, which are administered by the Department of Social Security, are not rank related; they are based solely on the degree of disablement.

  UNPROFOR
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held on the continuing presence of UNPROFOR forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina with General Sir Michael Rose since he relinquished his command there, with particular reference to the implications for the safety of this mission of President Tudjman's call for the withdrawal of UNPROFOR from Croatia on 31 March; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Soames
  My right hon. and learned Friend took the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues on the
  13
  former Yugoslavia with General Rose when he returned to the United Kingdom.

  Appeals
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the number of appeals for redress of complaint concerning the scale of redundancy entitlement for ex-service personnel which are currently outstanding; what is the average time taken to process such appeals; and when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for East Lothian dated 23rd May 1994 about Mr. Eric Wright.

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: There are at present 101 applications outstanding. These were received in my Department between May and December last year.

  The length of time being taken to process these appeals reflects the need to ensure consistent treatment for each individual in the light of all the circumstances. I am afraid that consideration of these cases is not yet complete. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will send a substantive reply to the hon. Member as soon as the Army board has reached its conclusions.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Research
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to review research allocations to reduce the development gap which he identified to the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Over the next few months I shall be reviewing with colleagues the implications of "Technology Foresight" on departmental science and technology programmes.

  Government Structure
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress his Department has made in the past 12 months on changing the structure of Government.

  Mr. Horam
  In the past 12 months, 12 next steps agencies have been created and one civil service body has been privatised. In the 12 months to September 1994, over 400 activities worth a total of £1 billion were reviewed under the "Competing for Quality" programme resulting in savings worth about £275 million a year. All this is indicative of the Government's continued determination to strive for ever greater efficiency and effectiveness within the civil service.

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement setting out the areas of which the citizens charter will be extended.

  Mr. Horam
  The charter already applies to all public services, but we continually seek to extend charter principles to raise all those services to the quality of the best. For example, this year we are seeking user nominations for the charter mark awards. This should 14
  make users more conscious of the standards of services they receive, and increase customer pressure for improvements in poorer quality organisations.

  Women
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the annual budget for the development unit set up by his Department to promote women into science, engineering and technology.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The unit is an integral part of the Office of Science and Technology. We need to attract the best people into science, engineering and technology—men and women. The unit has an important role to play in this and will have the funding it needs.

  Civil Service Morale
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to improve morale within the civil service.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Government take very seriously indeed the need to maintain high morale in the civil service. In the Command Paper on the civil service, published in January, the Government set out policies which they believe will maintain and improve morale by providing a framework within which civil servants can give of their best.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion) on 1 February Official Report, column 712.

  Human Genes
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has in respect of research which has been carried out to date in the United Kingdom in respect of isolating human genes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Medical Research Council, which receives its funding from my Department, supports an extensive programme of work on the isolation and characterisation of human genes under the human genome mapping project initiative. Research is being carried out at the HGMP research centre in Cambridge, at MRC funded units—for example, the human genetics unit in Edinburgh—and through grant support to researchers in universities. In 1993–94, the council's expenditure on this research was £5.6 million, and work to exploit the fruits of this activity is being carried out under the council's "Genetic Approach to Human Health Initiative".

  Considerable progress has been, and continues to be made in this area. A number of genes have already been isolated by council-supported scientist, including, for example, the gene for polycystic kidney disease.

  Officials from the MRC are always willing to discuss and consider scientifically based, sound proposals. The prospects for funding of research into the isolation of

  15
  human genes will therefore depend on the nature and quality of any applications received.

  Personal Records
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, further to the information provided in paragraph 4.23 of his Department's 1995 report and expenditure plans, when he expects to publish the draft legislation on access to personal records and health and safety information.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Proposals for legislation on access to personal records and health and safety information will be introduced when the parliamentary timetable permits.

  Ministerial Accountability
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to arrange further ministerial accountability for agencies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Horam
  Ministers are accountable for all the work of their Departments, including agencies. The Government's position was set out fully in Command Paper 2748, including the response to the TCSC conclusions.

ENVIRONMENT

  Cemfuel
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those instances in 1994 where permissions to burn Cemfuel was refused.

  Mr. Atkins
  [pursuant to his reply, 24 February 1995, c. 350]: I regret that one of the locations given was incorrect. The two plants which use Cemfuel are Castle Cement at Clitheroe and Ketton. Limited trials have taken place at these sites. There has been no other formal application to burn Cemfuel.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates he has made of the amount of Cemfuel burnt(a) in England and (b) in Lancashire in 1994.

  Mr. Atkins
  [pursuant to his reply, 14 February 1995, c. 350]: I regret that the figures given were incorrect. The total estimated quantity of Cemfuel used in England in 1994 was 37,000 tonnes, of which 34,000 was used in Lancashire.

  Carbon Emissions Report
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the DRI/McGraw-Hill report on carbon emissions across Europe, a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department has no record of having received the report. I am, however, aware of its conclusions, which the Government do not share.

  Sites of Special Scientific Interest
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sites of special scientific interest there are now, and how many there were five years ago.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  At 31 March 1990, there was 3404 SSSIs in England. AT 31 March 1994, the latest date for which figures have been published there were 3794.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by location all sites of special scientific interest in England and Wales.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  English Nature produces a list of sites of special scientific interest by county. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library. Matters relating to Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. However, I understand that the Countryside Council for Wales produces similar information on request.

  Career Breaks
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) men and (b) women applied for career breaks in his Department or its agencies; and how many have had their employment terminated in the last five years.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The number of people who have applied for career breaks is not available, but the number of such breaks, by gender, in the period January 1990 to December 1994 were four men and one hundred and thirty one women, none of whom have had their employment terminated.

  Opencast Coal Mining
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the plans for opencast coal mining in Oxfordshire were submitted.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  This information is not held centrally.

  Bridleways
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to extend and develop the network of bridleways in England.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Government have endorsed the target to ensure that the whole network of footpaths, bridleways and byways open to all traffic is properly maintained and recorded on definitive maps by the year 2000. The Secretary of State was also pleased recently to approve the Countryside Commission's proposals for the Pennine bridleway national trial.

  Local authorities have powers to create bridleways by agreement or order. While the provision of facilities for specific recreational activities is a matter for local authorities to consider, planning policy guidance note 17 encourages them to include in local plans policies and proposals on the availability of rights of way.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department and if he will make a statement.
  17
  Sir Paul Beresford
  In 1994, the combined percentage of registered and non-registered disabled people employed in my Department was equivalent to 2 per cent. of total non-industrial staff, excluding PSAS.

  Environmental Assessment
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to amend the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 in respect of development requiring environmental assessment.

  Sir Paul Beresford
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales have today laid before Parliament the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 and the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. These two instruments consolidate the General Development Order 1988 and its numerous amending orders. Following public consultation in 1993, the Permitted Development Order also introduces provisions whereby permitted development rights granted by article 3 of the order are withdrawn for development that should be subject to environmental assessment. It is proposed that the measures will come into force on 3 June 1995. From that date, permitted development rights will no longer apply to the types of projects listed in schedule 1 to the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988, the EA regulations, or to developments within any of the categories in schedule 2 to the EA Regulations if they would be likely to have significant environmental effects unless, for example, other procedures associated with those developments provide for environmental assessment. We anticipate that only a small number of developments will be affected by these changes, since most projects carried out under permitted development rights are minor and would not be expected to have significant environmental effects.

  My right hon. Friends have also today laid before Parliament the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Assessment and Permitted Development) Regulations 1995. These, too, are proposed to come into force on 3 June 1995. Under the regulations a developer may apply to the local planning authority for an opinion on whether a particular development, which would otherwise benefit from permitted development rights, will require environmental assessment, and consequently a planning application.

  A developer receiving an opinion from the planning authority that environmental assessment is required may appeal to the Secretary of State for a direction. Where the local authority is both the developer and planning authority, or where someone proposes a joint development with a local authority, an opinion on the need for EA may be sought from the Secretary of State.

  Guidance to local planning authorities and developers on the effect and operation of the new measures is to be issued in the next few days.

  Copies of the 67 non-confidential responses to the consultation paper have been placed in the Department of the Environment and Welsh Office libraries, and a summary and list of the responses have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses together with a compliance cost assessment.

  Landfill
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to produce guidance on the design, construction and operation of landfills.

  Mr. Atkins
  Landfill is the predominant method of waste disposal in this country, and will remain of major importance as far into the future as we can see. Landfills, unless they are properly designed, built and operated, can have a major impact on the atmosphere, the soil and the water supply. Unless we ensure that landfill uses the best possible techniques, we shall have failed the test of sustainability.

  We are therefore publishing today a consultation draft of waste management paper 26B, "Landfill design, construction and operational practice". The draft paper has been prepared by consultants. They have drawn extensively on the waste management industry's experience of landfill techniques, on the waste regulators' particular skills, and on their own specialised knowledge of landfill engineering as a technical discipline.

  The consultation period will be until 10 May 1995. Subject to the results of the consultation, waste management paper 26B should be published in late summer 1995.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for improving local services by streamlining the regulation of local government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government are determined to remove all unnecessary bureaucratic regulation of local government. As part of this commitment my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales have today published a paper for consultation, "Deregulating Local Government".

  The paper makes proposals for further specific measures in the following areas of local authority activity: enforcement action, finance and administration, housing, personal social services, and traffic and highways. It also reviews progress to date on freeing up local government from unnecessary bureaucratic requirements, Finally, it invites consultees to put forward their own proposals for further streamlining and reducing the regulation of local government.

  Regulatory regimes for local government should be kept to the minimum necessary to safeguard our national policies for services and the management of the economy. This will help local authorities to be responsive to the needs and wishes of their local businesses and citizens, and to provide them with quality services which they want and can afford.

  I have arranged for copies of the paper to be placed in the Library. Copies are also being sent to the local authority associations, individual local authorities, and to other interested bodies, all of whom are being invited to respond by 1 May 1995.

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the financial benefits to the Exchequer of the privatisation of the water industry; and if he will make a statement.
  19
  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 2 March]: Privatisation allowed the water industry access to private sector funds, removing its dependence on the Exchequer. This has enabled a much increased investment programme of around £3 billion each year since 1989 to improve drinking water quality and the water environment as well as allowing the necessary maintenance of infrastructure. For example, in England and Wales in 1993, 99 per cent. of 3.5 million tests met the drinking water quality and between 1990 and 1993 there was a net upgrading in quality of nearly 16 per cent. of river length—the proportion of rivers in the highest quality class increased and the proportion in the lower classes reduced.

  Phosphate Removal
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of removing phosphates from water in England and Wales(a) in total and (b) by water authority to stop the formation of algal blooms in reservoirs in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department does not collect information of this kind.

  Waste
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the management plan setting out his policies on imports and exports of waste.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department has today issued for public consultation a draft of the management plan or imports and exports of waste, copies of which have been placed in the Library. This sets out in detail the Government's policies on waste imports and exports, which were outlined in a statement on 15 June last year.

  The waste management plan will be an important component in the system of controls over transfrontier movements of waste. It gives guidance to regulators and to industry as to the types of shipment which will in future be allowed into and out of the United Kingdom, and those which will not. In particular, it helps towards achieving the Government's aim of self-sufficiency in waste disposal, both at national and European Community levels. The plan is separate from, but consistent with, the waste strategy for England and Wales, a draft of which was yesterday issued for consultation.

  The key proposals of the management plan for imports and exports are:
  to ban exports from the UK for disposal to all countries;to allow exports for recovery to OECD countries, but, in line with decision II/12 taken by the parties to the Basel convention in March 1994, to ban exports of hazardous waste for recovery to non-OECD countries, other than in exceptional cases allowed under that decision;to ban most imports for disposal, other than exceptionally in the case of hazardous wastes from developing countries which cannot reasonably deal with the wastes themselves, or for small quantities from developed countries where the provision of specialised facilities would be uneconomic. For wastes destined for high temperature incineration, the draft plan incorporates a three-year transitional
  20
  period during which progressively reducing volumes of imports would be allowed;to allow imports for recovery, while taking steps to ban imports for disposal under the guise of recovery—so called "sham recovery".
  Subject to responses to consultation, it is our aim to publish the plan later in the spring.

EDUCATION

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by her Department, and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The DFE's Department annual disabled person's return for 1994 shows that the number of registered disabled people employed by the Department is 60, representing 2.9 per cent. of the total.

  This figure refers only to staff who are registered disabled. There are disabled people employed by the Department who chose not to register, and therefore do not appear in the figures.

  Collective Worship
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what considerations underlie the policy of requiring a compulsory act of worship for those school students who are older than the statutory age for school attendance.

  Mr. Forth
  Collective worship helps to establish a positive ethos in a school community, and makes a vital contribution to pupils' moral and spiritual development.

  Mr. Michael Johnson
  Mr. Sutcliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education when she expects to answer the letters from the hon. Member for Bradford, South of 17 October 1994 and 27 January 1995 concerning Mr. Michael Johnson.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The letters received holding replies dated 2 November 1994 and 15 February 1995 respectively. A substantive reply to Mr. Johnson's request for the Secretary of State to intervene in his case was sent on 2 March 1995 and, as promised, a copy was sent to the hon. Member for Bradford, South.

  Overseas Students
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (1) if she will publish a table showing(a) the number and (b) the proportion of overseas students studying for a first degree in every university in the United Kingdom (i) in 1994–95 and (ii) in 1984–85;

  (2) if she will publish a table showing (a) the number and (b) the proportion of overseas students studying for a first degree in every university in the United Kingdom (i) in 1994–95 and (ii) in 1984–85.
  21
  Mr. Boswell
  The available information, covering both questions on universities in England is shown in the table. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales

  Numbers of full-time overseas domiciled students1 studying at English Universities

  1984–85

  1993–94

  Undergraduates

  Postgraduates

  Undergraduates

  Postgraduates

  Overseas students

  As Percentage of all U/Gs

  Overseas students1

  As Percentage of all P/Gs

  Overseas students

  As Percentage of all U/Gs

  Overseas students

  As Percentage of all P/Gs

  Former UFC Institutions

  Aston

  150

  5

  156

  27

  257

  6

  103

  26

  Bath

  139

  5

  171

  26

  559

  12

  173

  23

  Birmingham

  357

  5

  451

  32

  882

  8

  1,085

  36

  Bradford

  191

  5

  249

  39

  594

  11

  428

  53

  Bristol

  243

  4

  135

  17

  997

  12

  438

  27

  Brunel

  41

  2

  224

  49

  397

  9

  280

  33

  Cambridge

  606

  6

  652

  30

  864

  8

  1,723

  43

  City

  314

  14

  310

  40

  585

  18

  487

  34

  Durham

  112

  3

  123

  19

  242

  4

  229

  22

  East Anglia

  286

  8

  191

  31

  533

  10

  281

  26

  Essex

  403

  17

  316

  54

  815

  21

  530

  54

  Exeter

  144

  3

  175

  27

  380

  6

  462

  35

  Hull

  101

  2

  220

  38

  651

  10

  482

  40

  Keele

  258

  11

  47

  14

  497

  11

  168

  19

  Kent

  582

  16

  197

  43

  1,299

  24

  482

  44

  Lancaster

  121

  3

  218

  38

  802

  12

  439

  38

  Leeds

  563

  6

  607

  35

  1,275

  9

  1,059

  40

  Leicester

  89

  2

  111

  13

  635

  10

  388

  22

  Liverpool

  227

  3

  219

  23

  597

  6

  367

  24

  London Business School

  0

  0

  51

  22

  0

  0

  214

  48

  London University

  3,569

  12

  3,604

  37

  7,590

  17

  6,256

  41

  Loughborough

  227

  5

  352

  45

  572

  8

  330

  31

  Manchester Business School

  0

  0

  46

  21

  0

  0

  174

  77

  Manchester University

  536

  6

  457

  26

  1,272

  10

  995

  38

  Manchester Institute of Science and Technology

  432

  15

  522

  49

  965

  22

  753

  54

  Newcastle

  474

  7

  370

  34

  789

  8

  678

  39

  Nottingham

  270

  4

  158

  16

  912

  10

  529

  31

  Oxford

  553

  6

  793

  32

  923

  9

  1,783

  45

  Reading

  271

  6

  504

  43

  860

  12

  1,014

  49

  Salford

  479

  15

  275

  63

  555

  10

  355

  50

  Sheffield

  239

  4

  269

  26

  1,268

  12

  815

  36

  Southampton

  227

  4

  297

  29

  522

  7

  459

  30

  Surrey

  209

  8

  214

  35

  580

  14

  411

  42

  Sussex

  362

  11

  300

  35

  1,100

  18

  477

  34

  Warwick

  275

  6

  166

  25

  1,069

  14

  810

  44

  York

  85

  3

  111

  19

  264

  6

  276

  28

  Former PCFC Institutions

  Anglia Polytechnic University

  83

  3

  1

  3

  605

  8

  21

  12

  Bournemouth University

  30

  2

  0

  0

  140

  2

  111

  35

  Coventry University

  263

  9

  15

  25

  1,734

  16

  270

  50

  Cranfield University

  89

  2

  4

  4

  79

  59

  384

  38

  De Montfort University

  12

  11

  401

  32

  480

  3

  200

  32

  Hertfordshire University

  142

  2

  31

  10

  757

  8

  130

  23

  Kingston University

  152

  4

  15

  12

  713

  8

  43

  8

  Leeds Metropolitan University

  135

  3

  35

  13

  509

  5

  150

  20

  Liverpool John Moores University

  292

  6

  33

  9

  550

  5

  66

  15

  London Guildhall

  269

  4

  19

  6

  263

  4

  22

  11

  Luton University

  63

  11

  0

  0

  89

  1

  11

  6

  Manchester Metropolitan University

  202

  2

  20

  4

  951

  5

  109

  8

  Middlesex University

  927

  14

  26

  14

  1,959

  16

  121

  16

  Nottingham Trent University

  141

  2

  3

  3

  709

  5

  49

  9

  Oxford Brookes University

  136

  3

  36

  10

  939

  14

  136

  20

  Sheffield Hallam University

  65

  1

  29

  9

  331

  2

  84

  12

  South Bank University

  273

  6

  29

  14

  639

  6

  118

  14

  Staffordshire University

  133

  3

  9

  7

  422

  5

  130

  34

  Thames Valley University

  346

  12

  31

  18

  409

  6

  39

  28

  University of Brighton

  231

  5

  22

  10

  668

  8

  41

  13

  22
  and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have responsibility for data on students studying in those countries.
  23

  Numbers of full-time overseas domiciled students' studying at English Universities

  1984–85

  1993–94

  Undergraduates

  Postgraduates

  Undergraduates

  Postgraduates

  Overseas students

  As percentage of all U/Gs

  Overseas students1

  As percentage of all P/Gs

  Overseas students

  As percentage of all U/Gs

  Overseas students

  As percentage of all P/Gs

  University of Central England, Birmingham

  120

  3

  8

  3

  466

  5

  75

  11

  University of Central Lancashire

  74

  2

  1

  3

  134

  1

  14

  4

  University of Derby

  111

  7

  0

  0

  159

  2

  30

  14

  University of East London

  1,318

  26

  46

  33

  1,179

  14

  76

  23

  University of Greenwich

  333

  9

  7

  16

  601

  6

  26

  4

  University of Huddersfield

  178

  4

  1

  11

  374

  5

  60

  10

  University of Humberside

  275

  10

  12

  18

  457

  5

  76

  32

  University of North London

  376

  8

  28

  17

  374

  5

  30

  11

  University of Northumbria at Newcastle

  108

  2

  5

  2

  708

  7

  84

  17

  University of Plymouth

  137

  3

  41

  27

  402

  3

  142

  26

  University of Portsmouth

  224

  3

  18

  17

  855

  8

  81

  21

  University of Sunderland

  447

  11

  6

  20

  735

  8

  100

  25

  University of Teesside

  193

  6

  18

  15

  298

  5

  44

  19

  University of West England, Bristol

  110

  2

  9

  4

  193

  2

  35

  5

  University of Westminster

  446

  11

  40

  50

  334

  5

  94

  22

  University of Wolverhampton

  112

  3

  0

  0

  810

  7

  48

  8

  Source:

  USR Volume 1—Students and Staff 1984–85 and 1993–94 and the Department's FESR.

  Note:

  1 For 1984–85 former UFC institutions, actual postgraduate overseas domiciled student numbers are not available in the required format. Data on students paying Overseas student fees have been used as an approximation.

  Youth Service Unit
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the budget for the youth service unit for 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96.

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 28 February 1995]: In 1993–94, the running costs of the youth service unit amounted to £382,000. It is anticipated that the costs in 1994–95 will be roughly £435,000. The unit's budget for 1995–96 has not yet been fixed. These figures reflect changes in the functions of the unit from year to year.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Pergau Dam
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sums will be available to the aid budget in 1996–97 as a consequence of the decision to fund the Pergau dam and other aid and trade provision projects from reserves.

  Mr. Baldry
  The planning figure for the 1996–97 aid programme remains as announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29 November 1994. As my right hon. Friend and Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement to the House on 13 December 1994, final figures for the aid programme in 1996–97 and later years will as usual be determined during the annual public expenditure survey in the light of all relevant factors.

  Four-wheel Drive Vehicles
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current 24
  position of the Overseas Development Administration on the supply of four-wheel drive vehicles to overseas non-governmental organisations; and if priority is given to British products.

  Mr. Baldry
  We undertake procurement in accordance with aid tying rules agreed with the DTI under which we look to United Kingdom supply sources wherever possible. These rules apply no differently to four-wheel drive vehicles than to any other equipment provided as part of the aid programme. However, our prime concern is to ensure that our programmes, whether operated by ourselves or by NGOs on our behalf, have satisfactory equipment with which to undertake their work where and when they need it.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Attorney General what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The information for the Departments for which I am responsible as at 31 December 1994 is set out in the table. Each of the Law Officers' Departments is an equal opportunities employer.
  25

  Departments

  Percentage

  Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers

  —

  Crown Prosecution Service

  1.30

  Serious Fraud Office

  2.98

  Treasury Solicitor's Department1

  1.96

  1 The Treasury Solicitor's Department also employs people with disabilities who are not registered but the numbers are not readily available.

WALES

  Cardiff Bay Development Corporation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer on 28 February,Official Report, columns 502–3, on what date his Department was notified of (a) the proposal and (b) actual payment of the grant by the Cardiff Bay development corporation to Grosvenor Waterside plc for the development of Crickowell house.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department was approached by the corporation in July 1991 about a contribution towards infrastructure costs associated with the construction of Crickowell house.

  An agreed contribution was paid by the corporation in March 1994.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Dundee East (Mr. McAllion) on 1 February 1995,Official Report, column 747.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Telephones
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he will now make available the BT star services facilities for the telephones of right hon. and hon. Members and their staff throughout the House; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  There are no plans to do so. I understand that BT star service facilities are designed to be used on public telephone exchange lines and it is not possible to make them available on extensions of the Palace of Westminster's private exchange.

  Disabled Parking
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what measures are in place to ensure that facilities for disabled parking within the precincts of the Palace of Westminster are not abused; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  There are 12 parking spaces in Star Chamber Court and three parking spaces in the inner courtyard of Norman Shaw North reserved for the use of vehicles driven, or used by photo-identity pass 26
  holders who have registered with the Serjeant at Arms and are recognised as disabled. At present, six hon. Members, eight Members' secretaries and 10 staff of the House have been registered. The use of these spaces is on a first come, first served basis.

  Those who use the other parking spaces in Star Chamber Court are reminded not to use the spaces reserved for disabled people. The whole area is policed on a random basis but these arrangements are dependent in the first instance on the co-operation of all right hon. and hon. Members. The Serjeant at Arms has been requested to draw examples of continuing misuse to the attention of the Committee.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will put before the Intelligence and Security Select Committee the evidence which enabled Mrs. Stella Rimington in her Dimbleby lecture to claim that MI5 had assisted in the tracking down and issue of warrants for the culprits of the Lockerbie crime, and to reveal M15's knowledge of threats to airlines at Frankfurt in the period September to December 1988.

  Mr. Howard
  I have received no such request from the Intelligence and Security Committee.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it was with the authority of his Department that Scotland Yard gave the Daily Express a story carried on page 1, 28 February 1989 identifying Khaled Juafor as the man who carried the bomb which destroyed Pan Am 103.

  Mr. Howard
  My Department had no involvement in the appearance of this story nor, as I understand it, was it based on any authorised briefing by a member of the Metropolitan police.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he authorised Mrs. Stella Rimington to make public statements about Libya and Lockerbie.

  Mr. Howard
  On the assumption that the hon. Member is referring to remarks made by Mrs. Rimington during her Dimbleby lecture in June 1994. I can confirm that I was aware of the content of the lecture before it was delivered.

  Abdul Fatah Ghadanfar
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date it was known to the Home Office that Mr. Ghadanfar was travelling on a false British passport under the name of Mr. Burtle of Redruth.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out in full his information about any false British passport of Abdul Fatah Ghadanfar, born on 12 December 1941 in Irbid, Jordan, alias Ronald John Burtle, born 24 October 1948, Redruth, Cornwall, UK Passport No. CO69456 E.

  Mr. Howard
  When the West German police arrested Ghadanfar in October 1988, they discovered a passport issued to Mr. Burtle in his possession, and notified the authorities in the United Kingdom. The passport had been
  27
  issued a few months before it was reported stolen, which was shortly before Ghadanfar's arrest. It is not known, and thought unlikely, that he ever travelled using this passport.

  Extradition
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions over any convenient period in the last 10 years the United Kingdom has extradited British nationals to a country with which the United Kingdom does not have an extradition treaty.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  During the last 10 years, the United Kingdom have not extradited any British nationals to countries with which it has no extradition treaty.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Libyan Government has asked Her Majesty's Government to extradite British citizens to stand trial in Libya.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The Libyan Government have not asked Her Majesty's Government to extradite any British citizen to stand trial in Libya.

  Spain
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek from the Spanish authorities information about Spanish pass, K 00023326, and driving licence 77.060.402; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I understand that this information has already been obtained from the Spanish authorities.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Some 0.8 per cent. of staff in the Home Office and its agencies are known to be disabled. There are likely to be others who have not responded to the Department's voluntary surveys.

  The nature of many of the posts within the Prison Service limits the scope for employing people with disabilities; excluding Prison Service staff, the percentage of staff in the Home Office and its agencies who are known to be disabled is 2.2 per cent.

  Plymouth City Council
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of investigations by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service into allegations against members of Plymouth, Sutton conservative association by Conservative councillors on Plymouth city council.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Devon and Cornwall constabulary does not normally record the cost of individual investigations, and information on the police costs is not available. I understand that Crown Prosecution Service costs were approximately £180.

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action has been taken against members of the Plymouth, Sutton Conservative Association by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service following allegations made against them by 28
  Conservative city councillors in Plymouth; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  This is an operational matter and entirely the responsibility of the chief officer of the police force concerned.

  I am told though, that the matter was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, whose view was that there was no evidence to justify criminal proceedings against any person.

  Nottinghamshire Probation Service
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the specific grant cash limit for the Nottinghamshire probation service in 1994–95 and the proposed specific cash limit in 1995–96 in(a) cash (b) comparable terms.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The specific grant cash limit for 1994–95 for the Nottinghamshire probation service is £6.9 million in cash terms. The specific grant cash limit for 1995–96 is(a) £6.7 million in cash terms and (b) £6.5 million in real terms compared with the previous year. A further £0.3 million is added to 1995–96 specific grant to support probation service partnerships with the independent sector previously funded separately by the Home Office.

  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed, and at what grade, by the Nottinghamshire probation service on(a) 30 June 1992, (b) 30 June 1993 and (c) 30 June 1994.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Information is given in the table.

  Staff employed by the Nottinghamshire probation service, in post at 30 June, whole-time equivalent 1, by grade and type. Number of staff, whole time equivalent

  30 June 1992

  30 June 1993

  30 June 1994

  Probation Officers

  Chief

  1

  1

  1

  Deputy Chief

  1

  1

  1

  Assistant Chief

  6

  5

  5

  Senior

  29

  31

  30

  Main grade

  146

  148

  149

  Total probation officers

  183

  186

  186

  Non-probation grade staff

  Probation Services Officers2

  25

  32

  29

  Clerical/secretarial

  105

  108

  109

  Administrative

  18

  16

  16

  Other non-probation grade staff, excluding hostel staff3

  39

  42

  45

  Hostel staff

  20

  20

  21

  Total non-probation grade staff

  207

  218

  220

  Total probation staff

  390

  404

  406

  1 Whole-time staff plus whole-time equivalent of part time staff. Figures rounded to the nearest whole number. Components and totals are rounded independently and so components may not add precisely to totals.

  2 Formerly ancillaries.

  3 Figures include sessional supervisors on community service schemes, staff employed in student training units and on miscellaneous functions.

  Houses of Parliament (Security Staff)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason and on which basis the Commissioner of Police of Metropolis has varied the implied condition in the contracts of employment of the security custodians employed in the Houses of Parliament that granted them the option of continuing their employment until they reached the age of 65 years; if he will arrange to reconsider the decision to vary these employment contracts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the commissioner that the age of retirement for Metropolitan police civil staff, including security staff at the Palace of Westminster, is and always has been 60 years. Extensions of service beyond that age are at the commissioner's discretion and are based on management needs.

  Stolen Computer Equipment
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of the main metropolitan areas the value of reported stolen computer equipment during the last year for which completed figures are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  This information is not collected centrally.

  EU Border Controls
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement explaining the operation of the border control arrangements within the EU known as the light touch controls; and what plans there are to extend the scope of these operations.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  There are no EU-wide arrangements described in this way.

  European Union and other European Economic Area passengers arriving in the United Kingdom are required to present their passport or other national identity documents, in order to establish their nationality and to distinguish them from third country nationals, who are subject to immigration control.

  Mentally Disordered Defendants
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the system whereby potential patients of special hospitals are assessed prior to sentence by a court; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Any court, before sentencing may seek psychiatric reports on a defendant. The overall effectiveness of these arrangements has been substantially enhanced by the creation, with the Government's active support, of over 100 local schemes in England and Wales aiming to provide assessment and access to treatment and care for mentally disordered defendants at the earliest opportunity.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the priorities of the Metropolitan police for 1995–96, and if he will make a statement.
  30
  Mr. Howard
  The priorities of the Metropolitan police for 1995–96 are:

  (i) to deliver the standards defined in the MPS charter;

  (ii) to achieve a detection rate for notifiable offences of 20 per cent.;

  (iii) to achieve a detection rate for burglary of 15 per cent.;

  (iv) to improve performance against robbery, in particular:

  (a) increase the detection rate for street crime to 15 per cent.;

  (b) increase the detection rate for robberies at business properties to 20 per cent.;

  (v) to improve performance against drug-related violence;

  (vi) to provide high visibility policing so as to reassure the public.

  Details of each of the priorities and the way in which they address the key objectives for policing were given in the statutory instrument I laid before the House on 19 October 1994 and are set out in the Metropolitan police policing plan 1995–96 which the Commissioner is issuing with my approval. I am sending copies to all right hon. and hon. Members whose constituencies fall wholly or partly within the Metropolitan police district and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library.

  Curfew Orders
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the trials of electronic monitoring of curfew orders are due to begin, when he expects to be able to announce details of the contractors who will be carrying out trials; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I am pleased to announce that Securicor Custodial Services Ltd. will be providing the service in the city of Manchester and the borough of Reading and that Geografix Ltd. will be providing the service for the county of Norfolk. The next stage is acceptance testing of the contractors' equipment and systems. The nine-month trials are scheduled to begin in June.

  Gloucestershire Police
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department; pursuant to his answer of 27 February,Official Report, column 407, if he will publish the advice from Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary relating to the special grant application by the chief constable of Gloucestershire for the exceptional costs of the Cromwell street inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The advice from Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary was that the expenditure incurred was not such as to threaten the efficiency of the force. It is not the practice to publish the details of advice given to Ministers.

  North East London Probation Service
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the effect of the November 1993 Budget statement on the budget of the North East London probation service; and what will be the impact on the service of the November 1994 Budget.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The 1993 Budget statement resulted in a specific grant cash limit for 1994–95 for the North East London probation service of £7.2 million, 6.8 per cent. higher than for 1993–94. The 1994 Budget statement resulted in a specific grant cash limit for 1995–96 of £7.1 million plus a further £0.2 million to support
  31
  probation service partnerships with the independent sector previously funded separately by the Home Office.

  It is for the North East London probation service to decide how these resources are best used and to determine what specific changes within the service should be undertaken on the basis of the total expenditure limit implied by this level of grant support.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed, and at what grades, by the North East London probation service on 30 June in each of the years 1992, 1993 and 1994.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Information is given in the table.

  Staff employed by the Nottinghamshire probation service, in post at 30 June, whole-time equivalent, by grade and type. Number of staff, whole time equivalent

  30 June 1992

  30 June 1993

  30 June 1994

  Probation Officers

  Chief

  1

  1

  1

  Deputy Chief

  —

  —

  —

  Assistant Chief

  3

  4

  4

  Senior

  21

  21

  22

  Main grade

  102

  114

  109

  Total probation officers

  127

  140

  137

  Non-probation grade staff

  Probation Services' Officers 2

  36

  40

  36

  Clerical/secretarial

  92

  99

  101

  Administrative

  11

  13

  12

  Other non-probation grade staff, excluding hostel staff 3

  10

  17

  17

  Hostel staff

  12

  17

  13

  Total non-probation grade staff

  161

  186

  179

  Total probation staff

  287

  326

  316

  1Whole-time staff plus whole-time equivalent of part time staff. Figures rounded to the nearest whole number. Components and totals are rounded independently and so components may not add precisely to totals.

  2Formerly ancillaries.

  3Figures include sessional supervisors on community service schemes, staff employed in student training units and on miscellaneous functions.

  Police Guidance Manual
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's definition of severe cases in the new up-dated police guidance manual; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The manual of guidance for the preparation, processing and submission of prosecution files includes no such definition. The manual makes reference to the "serious" nature of a case. This relates to the seriousness of the offence committed and to other factors including the vulnerability of the victim, the use of excessive force and the abuse of a position of responsibility.

  Career Breaks
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women
  32
  applied for career breaks in his Department or its agencies; and how many have had their employment terminated in the last five years.

  Mr. Howard
  No central record is maintained of applications for career breaks, but since 1992 the Department and its agencies have granted career breaks to 23 men and 220 women. During this period, two members of staff have had their appointment terminated during or following a career break.

  Car Break-in Kits
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the sale of car break-in kits; and what response he has given.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend has, in the past, received a number of representations from hon. Members about the general availability of skeleton car key sets, which are used to gain entry to locked vehicles.

  Since many of those working in the motor trade have a legitimate use for such devices, there would be substantial practical and legal difficulties in restricting or prohibiting their sale. There is, in any case, no evidence to show that skeleton keys are being misused to any significant degree.

  Children's Certificates
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for
  the Home Department how many children's certificates have been issued to public houses in each local government area of England and Wales to the latest available date.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The changes to the Licensing Act 1964 which enable licensees to apply to the licensing justices for children's certificates came into effect on 3 January 1995. No information about the number of certificates granted is yet held centrally.

  Birmingham Six
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he received the final claims for compensation from the six men wrongly convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings; when it was passed to Sir David Calcutt; and what action has been taken.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  All six men are eligible for compensation but only five have submitted the information which enables the assessor to determine what amount should he paid. This information was received in the Home Office between October 1992 and December 1993, and after clarification and elaboration of a number of points was passed to the assessor in May and August 1994. Further information was submitted on behalf of the applicants in February 1995. Substantial interim payments have been made in all six cases and the final assessments will be completed as soon as possible.

  Leon Patterson
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with Greater Manchester police concerning the death in their custody of Leon Patterson on 27 November 1992; and if he will make a statement.
  33
  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: As stated in the reply given to the hon. Member on 10 May 1993, this is a matter for the chief constable of the Greater Manchester police.

  Drug Trafficking (Seized Assets)
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the value of assets seized under the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 by Merseyside police; if he will consider making such amounts available for drugs education and training by Merseyside police; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: Returns from magistrates courts for the Merseyside area show that between April 1989 and March 1994, the following sums were remitted to the Secretary of State under the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986:

  Year

  £

  1989–90

  4,561.20

  1990–91

  71,473.39

  1991–92

  175,101.43

  1992–93

  192,410.21

  1993–94

  106,646.99

  Total

  550,193.22

  I have no plans to change existing arrangements under which confiscated money is treated in the same way as fine revenue and paid directly into the consolidated fund from which Government expenditure generally—including substantial support for drug-related work—is financed. Approximately £500 million is spent each year on supporting our drugs strategy, including local drug education programmes. Investigations into drug trafficking and the prosecution and conviction of offenders and the confiscation of drugs proceeds involve the police, the courts, the Crown Prosecution Service and HM Customs and Excise, all of whom devote considerable resources to this area.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Environmentally Sensitive Area Agreements
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many environmentally sensitive area agreements have been concluded in England involving payments in the(a) £0–£5,000, (b) £5,000– £10,000, (c) £10,001–£15,000, (d) £15,001420,000, (e) £25,000–£50,000, (f) £50,001–£75,000, (g) £75,001– £100,000, (h) £100,000–£150,000, (i) £150,000–£200,000 and (j) over £200,000 bands.

  Mr. Jack
  The number of English ESA agreements in each band is as follows:

  £

  Number

  0–5,000

  5,071

  5,001–10,000

  722

  10,001–15,000

  201

  15,001–20,000

  69

  20,001–25,000

  46

  25,001–50,000

  80

  34

  £

  Number

  50,001–75,000

  10

  75,001–1000,000

  5

  100,001–150,000

  0

  150,001–200,000

  0

  Over 200,000

  0

  Career Breaks
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) men and (b) women applied for career breaks in his Department or its agencies and how many have had their employment terminated in the last five years.

  Mr. Jack
  The number of staff who have applied for a career break is 39-two men and 37 women. No one has had their employment terminated in the last five years. The career break scheme was introduced in MAFF and some of its agencies on 8 September 1994.

  Decommissioning Scheme
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to extend the fishing boat decommissioning scheme to compensate fishing crews, fish merchants and ancillary workers as well as boat owners; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  I have no such plans. The decommissioning scheme is a means of enabling us to meet the targets for the reduction in fleet capacity which we have accepted as part of the common fisheries policy. It is a voluntary measure which operates through a tendering system in order to secure the best value for money. It is up to vessel owners to make suitable provision to meet any contractual obligations to their crews or third parties. By contributing to a better balance between fishing capacity and available fish stocks decommissioning will help to provide a more viable long-term future for the remaining United Kingdom fleet and related industries.

  Food from Britain
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the level of funding received by Food From Britain in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Jack
  The information is as follows:

  Level of Funding of Food from Britain (£ Million)

  Year

  Government

  Industry

  Total

  1985–86

  5.9

  1.0

  6.9

  1986–87

  5.0

  0.7

  5.6

  1987–88

  4.1

  2.1

  6.2

  1988–89

  4.2

  2.8

  6.9

  1989–90

  4.5

  3.1

  7.6

  1990–91

  4.5

  3.0

  7.5

  1991–92

  4.5

  3.3

  7.8

  1992–93

  4.8

  3.8

  8.6

  1993–94

  5.0

  4.0

  9.0

  1994–95

  15.3

  14.4

  19.6

  1 estimated

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the. Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the percentage of disabled
  35
  People directly employed by his; if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Browning
  On 1 July 1994, nearly 1.5 per cent. of the staff directly employed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, including its agencies were registered as disabled. In 1993, a voluntary survey of all staff, which achieved a 60 per cent. response, showed that between three and four times that number considered that they had a disability.

  Discarded Fish
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to amend fisheries regulations to reduce the quantity of discarded fish in the North sea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  Fish discards can be a particular problem in waters such as the North sea where different species shoal together. Changes to the regulations affecting discards would have to be made under the common fisheries policy. The Council of Fisheries Ministers is concerned 36
  to reduce discards and has asked the Commission to make proposals. One of the approaches under consideration is to improve the selectivity of fishing gear and research is being undertaken to this end. In the light of this, and other developments, it will be for the Commission to bring forward proposals for amendment to EU regulations.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will support changing the status of animals from goods and products to sentient creatures at the inter-governmental conference in 1996; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: The Government secured a declaration, attached to the Maastricht treaty, concerning the need to take full account of animal welfare in agricultural and other policies.

  The Government are considering a number of issues and options in preparation for the 1996 inter-governmental conference.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer on 17 February,Official Report, column 872–74, (1) if he will state the net gain for a person aged 18 to 25 years, who is on income support, and has worked at £3.20 per hour for (a) eight hours and (b) 16 hours, showing calculations in each case, including the pence per hour net gain from working the extra eight hours;

  (2) if he will state the net gain for a married couple on income support, if the man has worked at £3.20 per hour for (a) eight hours and (b) 16 hours, showing calculations in each case, including the pence per hour net gain from working the extra eight hours.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is set out in the tables. Information for a single person is for those in the age group 18 to 24 years. Information for those aged 25

  Gain from work at £ 3.20 per hour

  Hours Worked

  Pay

  Income Support

  Rent

  Housing Benefit

  Council Tax

  Council Tax Benefit

  Total NetIncome

  Net Income after payment of rent and council tax when in work

  Net Income after payment of rent and council tax when not in work

  Net gain from work

  Pence per hout gain from working 8 hours 1

  single person aged 18-24

  8

  25.60

  15.55

  30.91

  30.91

  6.60

  6.60

  78.66

  41.15

  36.15

  5.00

  63

  16

  51.20

  —

  30.91

  24.38

  6.60

  4.59

  80.17

  42.66

  36.15

  6.51

  19

  Married Couple (£5 earnings disregard in income support)

  8

  25.60

  51.10

  30.91

  30.91

  8.60

  8.60

  116.21

  76.70

  71.70

  5.00

  63

  16

  51.20

  —

  30.91

  30.91

  8.60

  8.60

  90.71

  51.20

  71.70

  —

  —

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest whole penny.

  2. Both members of the couple are assumed to be aged under 60. One or both members are assumed to be aged 18 or over.

  3. Both the couple and the single person are assumed to live in local authority accommodation and be liable for average council tax and local authority rent.

  4. All the examples shown assume take-up full entitlement to Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

  5. Tax and National Insurance contributions are not payable at the earnings levels shown.

  Child Support
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the methods used to calculate the costs of(a) a £10 and (b) £15 disregard of maintenance for parents in receipt of income support.

  Mr. Burt
  In estimating the costs of a maintenance disregard, estimates and assumptions are made in the following areas:
  the number of lone parents and step families on income support in any particular year;the proportion of parents with care whose absent parent has a maintenance assessment greater than zero;the proportion of this scheduled maintenance actually being paid or received;the average amount of maintenance disregarded, taking account of the fact that for parents with care receiving less than £10 to £15 maintenance per week,38
  and over was given in the reply to the hon. Member on Friday 17 February, Official Report, columns 872–74.

  Many single people in the age group shown will not be liable for rent and council tax. In these cases the net gain from working 16 hours will be £15.05, being the difference between net pay of £51.20 and income support of £36.15. This represents a gain of £1.26 per hour for the additional eight hours work.

  To address poor incentives to increase hours of work we are introducing two new measures:
  from October 1996 the back-to-work bonus will provide an additional gain of half the value of earnings above the appropriate disregard, £5 for singles, £10 for couples, payable on moving into work of 16 hours or more. For a single person unemployed for a year, the gain from taking work of 16 hours would therefore also be a lump sum of around £400.From October 1996, a new in-work benefit aimed at couples and single people without children will be tested to examine its effects on increasing the gain from work for these groups in the same way as family credit does for families with children.the disregard will equal the amount of maintenance received.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will meet(a) the National Association of Laryngectomee Clubs and (b) the Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund to discuss medical assessment in respect of incapacity benefit.

  Mr. Hague
  The development of the medical assessment for incapacity benefit included an open consultation process, to which the Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund contributed. If either of these organisations has further comments on the medical assessment, I would be happy to received them.

  World Summit for Social Development
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he proposes to publish representations made
  39
  on behalf of the British Government at the world summit for social development about measures concerned with social development in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  There are no plans to do so. The speeches of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development will be published and copies will be placed in the Library.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion) on 31 January 1995,Official Report, columns 623–24.

  Statutory Maternity Pay
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average cost to the Exchequer of 18 weeks maternity leave per person.

  Mr. Hague
  Information is not available in the form requested. Information available relates to statutory maternity pay. The average cost to the Exchequer of 18 weeks' SMP per beneficiary is estimated at £1,710 for 1995–96.

  Notes:

  1. The estimated average cost has been rounded to the nearest £10 but is not accurate to that degree.

  2. The figure represents SMP reimbursement to employers and is not the average amount of SMP paid to women.

  3. Not all women receive 18 weeks of SMP and not all beneficiaries are on maternity leave as such–some resign from their employment on commencement of the maternity pay period.

  Source:Government Actuary's Department independent caseload and expenditure forecasts.
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women took paid maternity leave in each of the last three years; and what was the overall cost.

  Mr. Hague
  The information is not available in the form requested. The available information relates to women receiving statutory maternity pay and is in the table.

  Statutory Maternity Pay 1991–92 to 1993–94

  1991–92 £ million

  1992–93 £ million

  1993–94 £ million

  Total estimated expenditure

  345

  398

  420

  Estimated number of beneficiaries

  245,000

  245,000

  260,000

  Notes:

  1. Expenditure figures appear in the 1994 Social Security Departmental Report and are at cash prices.

  2. Figures for number of beneficiaries have been estimated using figures provided by the Government Actuary's Department and assume that all women receive SMP for a full 18 weeks.

  Fraud
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how benefit savings are calculated in instances of fraud uncovered(a) generally by his officers and (b) by the Child Support Agency;

  (2) by what multiple of the value of the order is used to calculate the benefit savings when order books are
  40
  withdrawn on the grounds that the claimant has committed fraud.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  A weekly benefit saving is recorded by the Benefits Agency when as a result of action by a fraud investigator benefit is reduced or withdrawn. The value of the saving is increased in value by the use of a multiplier which is an estimate of the average time for which a fraud would have continued, had the fraud not been discovered. It is therefore a measure of the average time for which benefit payments are saved by investigation work which leads to the termination or correcting of fraudulent claims. The multiplier used for benefit frauds is 32.

  Frauds uncovered by the Child Support Agency are referred to the Benefits Agency for investigation. Savings in these cases are calculated in the same way as above.

  If the fraud is one which concerns the manipulation or fraudulent encashment of a stolen or lost order book, the saving will be the total value of the orders remaining in the order book when the book is recovered.

  Resettlement Units
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many DSS resettlement units have closed each year since 1990.

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Since 1990 the Department has either closed and replaced or disengaged from the direct administration of 16 resettlement units as follows:

  Year and unit

  Status

  1991

  Fazakerley—Liverpool

  Closed

  Brighton

  Closed

  Bridge House

  Closed

  1992

  Alvaston—Derby

  Closed

  Walkden—Manchester

  Closed

  Winterbourne—Bristol

  Closed

  Plawsworth—Newcastle

  Closed

  1993

  Stormy Down—South Wales

  Closed

  Camden—London

  Disengaged

  Southampton

  Disengaged

  Newbury

  Disengaged

  1994

  Spur House—Lewisham

  Disengaged

  Pound Lodge—Brent

  Disengaged

  Leicester

  Disengaged

  Lye—West Midlands

  Disengaged

  West End House—London

  Disengaged

HEALTH

  Medical Negligence Claims
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of medical negligence were settled, and what was the total cost of damages awarded together with legal costs, in each year since 1990–91, by region.

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. member to the figures that my right hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough
  41
  (Dr. Mawhinney) gave him on 14 March, columns 535–36 and on 10 May 1994, columns 84–85, which are reproduced in the first table. As was made clear at the time, these figures were based on information which was not comprehensive and in particular do not include data from National Health Service trusts, which will form an increasingly large proportion of the total. We have therefore developed an alternative method of estimating the total costs of clinical negligence to the NHS, based on

  Table 1: Number and Costs to the NHS of Clinical Negligence Settlements by Region

  1990–91

  Old estimates 1991–92

  1992–93

  Region

  Cases

  Cost £000

  Cases

  Cost £000

  Cases

  Cost £000

  Northern

  109

  1,613

  207

  3,310

  344

  3,395

  Yorkshire

  152

  4,604

  111

  3,302

  49

  1,720

  Trent

  73

  2,611

  119

  2,069

  105

  2,953

  East Anglian

  38

  1,359

  88

  1,737

  37

  3,295

  North West Thames

  89

  8,551

  221

  6,954

  183

  6,209

  North East Thames

  136

  8,464

  108

  5,888

  76

  1,624

  South East Thames

  n/k

  6,118

  106

  7,113

  117

  5,714

  South West Thames

  104

  3,233

  90

  4,663

  64

  2,543

  Wessex

  52

  1,525

  51

  919

  72

  681

  Oxford

  231

  2,257

  131

  3,339

  113

  917

  South Western

  56

  2,104

  83

  2,872

  56

  3,517

  West Midlands

  154

  3,157

  145

  2,573

  165

  3,661

  Mersey

  218

  1,421

  108

  1,002

  192

  3,622

  North Western

  183

  2,580

  145

  4,730

  160

  4,457

  SHAs

  23

  3,639

  38

  877

  5

  752

  Estimates based on annual health authority returns.

  Table 2: Costs to the NHS of clinical negligence settlements by region (New estimates)

  £ million

  Authority RHA

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95(provisional)

  Northern

  5.4

  7.6

  —

  Yorkshire

  5.9

  5.7

  —

  Trent

  5.4

  6.0

  —

  East Anglia

  4.0

  4.3

  —

  North West Thames

  10.8

  7.8

  —

  North East Thames

  10.5

  10.9

  —

  South East Thames

  4.1

  19.7

  —

  South West Thames

  3.2

  6.1

  —

  Wessex

  0.1

  0.3

  —

  Oxford

  4.2

  4.2

  —

  South Western

  6.3

  6.5

  —

  West Midlands

  4.5

  7.1

  —

  Mersey

  6.4

  3.7

  —

  North Western

  9.4

  10.0

  —

  Northern and Yorkshire

  —

  12.9

  21.0

  Trent

  —

  6.0

  6.7

  Anglia and Oxford

  —

  9.0

  19.2

  North Thames

  —

  18.1

  26.3

  South Thames

  —

  25.9

  16.0

  South and West

  —

  6.8

  10.0

  West Midlands

  —

  7.1

  10.2

  North West

  —

  14.1

  15.7

  Note:

  Estimates based on quarterly financial returns. Figures for special health authorities are included in the relevant Thames Region.

  Casualty Admissions
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the percentage change in casualty admissions in
  42
  quarterly financial monitoring. In the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 30 January 1995, column 523, costs on this new basis were estimated at £80 million in 1991–92, £100 million in 1992–93 and £125 million in 1993–94. Regional breakdowns—comparable to these new estimates—are now available for 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95, provisional, and are shown in the second table. Estimates of number of settlements are not available.

  (a) England and (b) London; and what increase in beds or other resources have been made available to accident and emergency departments in (i) England and (ii) London within the last year.

  Mr. Sackville
  Information is not available in the form requested. There was an overall increase of 0.3 per cent. in the number of patients admitted to hospital under an accident and emergency consultant in England in 1993–94, while in the Thames regional health authorities admissions in the accident and emergency specialty fell by 3.2 per cent.

  Information on accident and emergency beds is not available centrally. The number of hospital consultants in the specialty of accident and emergency medicine increased by 7.6 per cent. in England and by 9 per cent. in the Thames regions between 1992 and 1993, the latest figures available. In the same period, other hospital medical staff in the accident and emergency specialty increased by 5 per cent. in England by 4.4 per cent. in the Thames regions.

  NHS Complaints
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she intends to act upon the final report of the NHS Complaints Review Committee, submitted in May 1994 entitled, "Being Heard".

  Mr. Malone
  We welcomed the publication of "Being Heard", the report of the National Health Service Complaints Review Committee, and support its central recommendation for a simpler, speedier NHS complaints system. Over 600 responses were received to the consultation on the report, raising some complex issues. We are carefully considering our response to the report in
  43
  the light of this and will make an announcement as soon as our present considerations are complete.

  Family Health Centres
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family health centres per 1,000 population there are in(a) inner London, (b) outer London, (c) Greater London, (d) Birmingham, (e) Manchester, (f) Liverpool, (g) Leeds, (h) Newcastle, (i) Bristol and (j) England.

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

  Location

  Health centres per 1,000 population

  Inner London

  0.022

  Greater London (inclusive of Inner London figures)

  0.017

  Newcastle

  0.028

  Leeds

  0.030

  Birmingham

  0.023

  Liverpool

  0.035

  Manchester

  0.026

  Bristol

  0.040

  England

  0.021

  Notes:

  1. Inner London is taken to be the areas covered by the following family health services authorities: Camden and Islington; City and East London; Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster and Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.

  2. Greater London figures include inner and outer London.

  3. For the purposes of this answer, "family health centres" has been defined as those properties owned by the Secretary of State or an NHS trust and occupied by family practitioners and other health care providers. Some trusts may own other properties from which a variety of community health clinics are provided but not also occupied by GPs. Numbers of this type of health centre are not, however, held centrally.

  Community Care
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent by her Department on community care for the mentally ill, broken down by local authority for the three most recent years for which figures are available; and what is the proportion of the resources allocated to community care spent on mental health patients.

  Mr. Bowis
  Figures of expenditure by local authorities in England in 1990–91 to 1992–93 on services for people with mental health problems, and the corresponding percentages of expenditure on all services for adults, are shown in the table.

  Figures for individual authorities, excluding apportioned overheads, for the years 1991–92 and 1992–93 will be placed in the Library. Comparable 1990–91 data for individual local authorities are not available centrally.

  These figures show direct services for people with mental illness, and do not take account of other expenditure which it would not be possible to calculate separately.
  44

  Gross expenditure by local authorities on services for people with mental health problems, England1

  Financial year

  Gross expenditure on mental health 2(£ million)

  As a percentage of expenditure on services for adults

  1990–91

  116

  3.6

  1991–92

  180

  5.0

  1992–93

  220

  5.8

  Notes:

  1 These figures include apportioned overheads (to cover, for example, administration and training costs).

  2 Includes fieldwork for mentally ill. Prior to 1991–92, expenditure on fieldwork was estimated by the Department of Health whereas after then it reflects actual expenditure as reported by local authorities.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department has undertaken research into the user's view of the transition from psychiatric long-stay hospitals to community care.

  Mr. Bowis
  A series of studies was carried out by the team for the assessment of psychiatric services which was set up in 1985 to monitor the closure of Friern and Claybury hospitals in the then North East Thames region, which established that the great majority of users preferred the new
  community-based services.

  Death Certificates
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money is paid each year to doctors in the health service in respect of the fees paid for signing the necessary papers to verify that someone died of natural causes, before the funeral director can release a body for cremation.

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available.

  Career Breaks
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) men and (b) women applied for career breaks in her Department or its agencies; and how many have had their employment terminated in the last five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department does not hold records of past applications for career breaks. There are currently 130 people, 12 male and 118 female, on career breaks in the Department and its agencies, Ill of whom have been on a career break of between one and five years. No staff have had their employment terminated during the five year breaks allowed by the Department; four staff have had their appointments terminated after the five years have elapsed as they failed to resign or return to work.

  Prescriptions, Sheffield
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued in the Sheffield health authority area for each of the last five years; and how many were exempt from payment.

  Mr. Malone
  The information available is shown in the table. Comparable information for years before 1991 is not available.
  45

  Prescription items dispensed in Sheffield Family Health Services Authority: 1991–93

  Prescription items dispensed (thousands)1

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Total2

  5,146

  5,393

  5,644

  With no charge3

  4,161

  4,412

  4,656

  1 The figures relate to prescription items dispensed in Sheffield FHSA, regardless of where they were written, and may include prescriptions written by hospital doctors, dentists and armed services doctors and dentists.

  2 The total includes all prescription items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.

  3The analysis of exempt prescription items is based on a one in 20 sample of all prescriptions. submitted to the Prescription Pricing Authority by community pharmacists and appliance contractors. In this table "With no charge" prescriptions include those dispensed under the NHS low income scheme and no charge contraceptives.

  Breast Cancer
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of deaths from breast cancer in respect of women aged 65 years or over in each year since 1984.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is published in "Mortality Statistics", cause, series DH2, Nos. 11–19, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Electrical Nerve Stimulators
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances and subject to what conditions transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation machines are available on the NHS.

  Mr. Sackville
  National health service consultants may prescribe pain relief equipment such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators—TENS machines—as part of NHS treatment, and when they do no charge is made. Health authorities may provide such equipment either on a permanent basis or on loan. However, supply depends on decisions being made on the basis of clinical priorities and local needs.

  In some cases, where pain relief equipment is not considered clinically essential, a consultant may nevertheless advise a patient that he could use it if he wished. In such cases, health authorities would not be responsible for either providing or maintaining the equipment.

  Accident and Emergency Service, South London
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussion she has had in the last year with officials of the south Thames health authorities in respect of existing accident and emergency services in hospitals covering this area of London.

  Mr. Sackville
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had regular meetings with the chairman and chief executive of South Thames regional health authority at which service developments, including accident and emergency services, have been discussed.

  Elderly Care
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of the NHS expenditure is spent on elderly care; and if she will make a statement about the procedure for applying to receive this care.

  Mr. Bowis
  We estimate that around 40 per cent. of total hospital and community health service expenditure is on people aged 65 and over, who comprise about 16 per cent. of the population. Every citizen has the right to receive health care free at the point of delivery on the basis of clinical need and judgment.

  Hospital Beds, North-east Wiltshire
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate she has made of the demand for, and supply of, hospital beds in the north-east of Wiltshire in the next five years.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Mr. Alastair Service, chairman of the Wiltshire and Bath health authority, which is responsible for purchasing health services to meet the needs of the local population.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion) on 31 January, column 628, and the reply I gave the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 5 December 1994, columns 85–87.

  Hospital Complaints Procedures
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedure exists to make judgment on a complaint of alleged premature discharge of a patient from a NHS hospital or trust due to financial considerations and contrary to medical considerations; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Malone
  Hospital complaints procedures are described in "Health Circular HC(88)37", copies of which are available in the Library. This was supplemented by guidance on "NHS responsibilities for continuing health care needs", which was issued on 23 February 1995 and which is also in the Library.

  Primary Care Projects, London
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the new primary care projects in London since 1993.

  Mr. Malone
  Since 1993, 965 primary care projects are in planning or underway in the London initiative zone. A list of the individual LIZ projects will he placed in the Library. Details of London primary care projects outside the LIZ may be obtained from the local health authorities and community trusts.

  Psychiatric Beds
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute psychiatric beds per 1,000 of the
  47
  population there are in (a) the West Midlands region, (b) the North West region, (c) the North Thames region, (d) the South Thames region and (e) in England and Wales.

  Mr. Bowls
  Information is not available in the form requested. The numbers of beds per thousands of population, in wards for patients suffering from mental illness, are shown in the table:

  1993–94

  Average daily available beds1

  Population 2

  Beds per thousand population

  West Midlands

  3,854

  5,289,772

  0.73

  North West

  6,466

  6,616,509

  0.98

  North Thames

  7,300

  6,793,292

  1.07

  South Thames

  5,742

  6,716,917

  0.85

  England

  43,162

  48,532,705

  0.89

  Source:

  KHO3 returns.

  Notes:

  1 Beds include both short and long stay, for children, elderly and adults. Beds are not for the exclusive use of the population of the region in which they are to be found.

  2 Population as at mid-1993.

  Figures for wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of Wales.

  Rural Medical Services
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what special funding arrangements are provided for casualty work undertaken in rural general practices.

  Mr. Malone
  None.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policies are implemented to address the difficulties of providing medical care in rural areas.

  Mr. Malone
  A central aim of Government health care policy has been to base the purchasing of services on a proper assessment of local need. This helps to target provision to reflect particular circumstances, such as those in rural areas. In addition, there are a number of local initiatives around the country which aim to improve medical care in rural areas. There are also some specific allowances to help rural general practitioners.

  Health care issues in rural affairs will also be addressed in the Rural White Paper announced by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 12 October 1994. Preparatory work for this has involved widespread consultation, including with health care and professional organisations.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy on initiatives to promote the use of communication and information technology in rural medical services.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is an information management and technology strategy which covers the whole of the national health service, including the use of communication and information technology in rural medical services.

  Primary Care
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy on primary care emergency centres.

  Mr. Malone
  General practitioners decide which model of out-of-hours service delivery best suits local needs. In some places, this will include the use of primary care centres to offer high quality services to patients.

  NHS Building Projects
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the building projects in the NHS from 1990–91 which have not become operational; and what were their total costs.

  Mr. Sackville
  I am not aware of any major national health service building projects in England that have failed to become operational following commissioning of new facilities.

  Mr. Sackville
  There is an information management and technology strategy which covers the whole of the national health service, including the use of communication and information technology in rural medical services.

  Local Pay
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts have a local pay bargaining mechanism in operation.

  Mr. Malone
  In June 1994, the chief executive of the national health service executive asked all NHS trusts in England to establish local pay machinery by February 1995, which would allow a significant proportion of pay in 1995–96 to be based on local needs and achievements. Information is not available centrally about the local arrangements.

  Adoptions
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adoptions took place last year of children aged(a) under three years, (b) between three and five years, (c) between five and 10 years and (d) over 10 years.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is not available precisely in the form requested. The last year for which completed figures are available is 1993, in which there were 6,859 adoptions in England and Wales. Of these, 465 children were aged under one, 1,894 between one and four, 2,543 between five and nine, 1,570 between 10 and 14 and 387 between 15 and 17 years of age. Previous years' data were published in "Marriage and Divorce Statistics: England and Wales 1993", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Newborn Handicapped Babies
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on the recent claims by Dr. Nicholson that he had killed newborn handicapped babies;

  (2) on how many occasions in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available newborn handicapped babies have been killed by doctors or other medical personnel;

  (3) if she will make it her policy to write to all medical practitioners reminding them that the killing of newborn handicapped babies is illegal; and if she will make a statement.
  49
  Mr. Sackville
  The deliberate killing of any human being is an illegal act. It is for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether any action should be taken over Dr. Nicholson's claims. Current Home Office criminal statistics do not identify any cases involving the killing of newborn handicapped babies by doctors or others. The Department does not keep separate information.

  All doctors are well aware that the deliberate killing of patients is illegal. It is also contrary to their ethical obligations.

  International Peto Institute
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds have been(a) paid and (b) pledged by her Department towards the construction of the International Peto Institute in Budapest.

  Mr. Bowis
  The Government have paid an initial sum of £1.75 million towards the cost of building a new International Peto Institute in Budapest. The Government undertook to contribute £5 million to this project. Our agreement with the Hungarian Government provides that subsequent payments will be dependent upon progress with construction.

  NHS Charges
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would he the annual cost of abolishing NHS charges presently made for eye and dental checks.

  Mr. Malone
  There is no charge for the provision of national health service sight tests. People who are entitled to NHS tests do not pay anything towards their cost. The fees payable to optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners for carrying out these tests are paid by family health services authorities. People not entitled to an NHS sight test pay for a private sight test.

  For dental examinations, assuming that the removal of the charge led to no increase in the number of dental examinations, the annual cost, at 1993–94 prices, would be approximately £70 million.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the operational definition of serious mental illness used by her Department.

  Mr. Bowls
  We have not set a rigid central definition of severe mental illness.

  We issued for consultation in October 1994 a "Draft Guide to Arrangements for Inter-agency Working for the Care and Protection of Severely Mentally III People". The draft guide contains a framework definition of severe mental illness on which local services can base their own more detailed operational definitions. Copies of the guide are available in the Library.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to introduce national standards for the purposes of the assessment and placement of potential patients following sentence by a court; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowls
  None. The Mental Health Act 1983 defines the circumstances in which a person suffering from a mental disorder can be detained in hospital. Health Circular EL(90)168 and Home Office circular 66/90, both 50
  available in the Library, draw to the attention of health service and criminal justice agencies the importance of appropriate disposals of offenders who have a mental disorder.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to develop the public's awareness of mental illness; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Bowls
  We launched a public information strategy on mental illness in March 1993. The strategy, which will cost in excess of £1 million over three years, aims to raise public awareness of mental illness, its causes and its treatment. In addition, the Health Education Authority is starting a programme of work in this sector.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the annual cost to the Exchequer resulting from a 1 per cent. real terms reduction in the price of NHS prescriptions.

  Mr. Malone
  About £2.2 million, based on the number of prescription items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors in England in 1993–94 for which a charge was paid.

  Community Psychiatric Nurses
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community psychiatric nurses are placed at(a) police stations and (b) courts, by region; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Court Diversions Schemes
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on court diversions schemes for the mentally disordered.

  Mr. Bowis
  We encourage the development of court assessment schemes to ensure that defendants who have a mental disorder receive care and treatment from health and social care services where necessary. The specific arrangements to be made locally are a matter for the agencies concerned. There are now over 100 schemes nationally compared with only a handful in 1991. About 50 schemes receive financial support from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give a breakdown by specialty of the numbers of patients and the period for which they were waiting for surgery in each district health authority in England and Wales at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Malone
  The available information on waiting lists and times by specialty at each national health service trust and district health authority in England is given in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England", copies of which are available in the Library. Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Public Bodies
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department(a) hold open meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether this is in each case (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary.

  Mr. Sackville
  [pursuant to his reply, 10 January 1995,c. 128]: I regret that my previous answer did not give all the required information. This is as follows:
  (a) Hold open meetings:None(b) conduct public consultation exercises:(i)under a statutory requirement:None(ii) voluntarily:British Pharmacopoeia Commission;Nutrition Task Force;(c)conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests:(i) under a statutory requirement:None(ii) voluntarily:British Pharmacopoeia Commission;Nutrition Task Force;(d) publish a register of members' interests:(i) under a statutory requirement:None(ii) voluntarily:Advisory Board on the Registration of Homeopathic Products;Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food;Committee on Dental and Surgical Materials;Committee on Safety of Medicines;Committee on the Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment;Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy;Committee on the Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment;Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food;Consumer Products and the Environment;Medicines Commission;(e) publish agendas for meetings:None(f) publish the minutes of meetings:(i) under a statutory, requirement:None(ii) voluntarily:Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy.

TRANSPORT

  Rail Communications
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new proposals he has to improve rail communications.

  Mr. Watts
  The preparations for the franchising of passenger train services, the flotation of Railtrack and the sales of domestic rail freight and BR's other businesses will contribute to improved rail communications.

  Crossrail
  Mr. Lidington
  : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the crossrail project.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have asked the crossrail promoters to study various aspects of the project further with my Department, in parallel with preparing their application for powers to build crossrail under the Transport and Works Act.

  Passenger Behaviour
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for regulations to improve the standard of behaviour of passengers on public transport.

  Mr. Norris
  Regulations or bye-laws are already in place governing passenger behaviour on public transport and there are no plans to amend them.

  Newly Qualified Drivers
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to reduce the incidence of road accidents amongst newly qualified drivers.

  Mr. Norris
  We are implementing a package of measures on the education, training and testing of new drivers to improve their safety.

  Stations
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to ask the chairman of British Rail to review the arrangements for the maintenance of stations and their immediate surroundings.

  Mr. Watts
  None.

  Kent Coastal Lines
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the provision of new rolling stock for the Kent coastal lines.

  Mr. Watts
  BR has invited and received expressions of interest from ABB and GEC-Alsthom in being invited to tender for a possible new order for Kent coastal lines, in a form consistent with the terms of the private finance initiative.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Tanner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements he is making concerning the contracts of employment of senior executives after rail privatisation.

  Mr. Watts
  None.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next intends to meet the Franchising Director to discuss the rail services being put out to franchise.

  Mr. Watts
  I next expect to meet the Franchising Director on 9 March.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those parts of the railway system which will have been privatised or put out to contract by April 1996.
  53
  Mr. Watts
  Sales since 1981 are:
  BR Hovercraft Ltd: 24 October 1981 BT Hotels (29 hotels sold in groups to various purchasers): 1982–83–84 Superbreak Mini Holidays: 14 February 1983 Slateford Laundry, Edinburgh: 19 September 1983 Sealink (UK) Ltd: 27 July 1984 BT Advertising Ltd: 28 August 1987 Doncaster Wagon Works: 16 October 1987 Horwich Foundry: 15 August 1988 Travellers Fare: 19 December 1988 BR Engineering Ltd: 18 April 1989 Golden Rail: 9 May 1989 Transmark: 7 April 1993 Meldon Quarry: 4 March 1994 Intended Sales to April 1996:Special Trains Unit BR Maintenance Ltd (7 Depots)Domestic Freight Businesses Three Trainload Freight Companies Freightliner Red Star Rail Express Systems Three Rolling Stock Leasing Companies BR Infrastructure Services 7 Design Offices 6 Track Renewal Units 7 Infrastructure Maintenance Units BR Telecommunications Various Businesses in BR Central Services.Others Franchising of 51 per cent. of Railway Passenger Services.Certain Legal and Architectural Services have been Contracted Out.
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask Secretary of State for Transport what further meetings he has had with British Rail to discuss its concerns about privatisation.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have regular meetings with the British Railways board to discuss a variety of issues including railway privatisation.

  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further representations he has received about the progress of rail privatisation.

  Mr. Watts
  I receive representations about all aspects of rail privatisation regularly.

  Waterways
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to increase the use of the waterways for freight transportation.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Users and providers of freight services are encouraged to consider the environmental and other benefits of waterborne transport. Grants are available under section 140 of the Railways Act 1993 for inland waterway developments which demonstrate an environmental benefit in the form of lorry miles saved.

  Buses
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to discuss with bus operators the European Union proposal that the percentage of passengers standing on buses should be increased.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  My Department is in regular contact with both the manufacturing and operating sides of the 54
  bus industry and is very much aware of their concerns about the proposed EC Bus and Coach Directive.

  My hon. Friend, the Minister for Local Transport and Road Safety will shortly be meeting representatives from both sides of the industry specifically to discuss the full implications of the proposal.

  Associated British Ports
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who will be chairing the inquiry into Associated British Ports' application for navigation powers over the western Solent.

  Mr. Norris
  The inquiry on this application for a harbour order is expected to take place in the autumn. An inspector will be appointed by the Planning Inspectorate Agency once the inquiry date has been established.

  Ministerial Travel
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next intends to travel on the railway line from Carlisle to London.

  Mr. Watts
  My right hon. Friend has no present plans which involve travel on the Carlisle to London railway line.

  Road Pricing
  Mr. Sutcliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning(a) motorway tolls and (b) urban road pricing in the last six months.

  Mr. Watts
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on both subjects.

  MV Derbyshire (Wreckage)
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to complete his consideration of the chief inspector of marine accident's assessment of the material provided by the International Transport Workers' Federation following their location of the wreckage of the Derbyshire and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The formal investigation in 1987 into the loss of the Derbyshire decided that
  "… the DERBYSHIRE was probably overwhelmed by the forces of nature in typhoon Orchid."
  and added that
  "the evidence available does not support any firmer conclusion".
  Subsequently, in June 1994, the wreckage of the Derbyshire was found during an ITF-sponsored search. The chief inspector of marine accidents has examined the evidence submitted to him by ITF and has advised me that the evidence still does not allow the cause of the Derbyshire's loss to be determined.

  I have decided, therefore, that an assessment should be made of what further work might be undertaken to seek to determine the actual cause of the loss of the Derbyshire, together with assessments of the costs involved, the likelihood of establishing the cause, and the likely benefits to ship safety. I have asked the right hon. Lord Donaldson of Lymington to undertake these assessments with the following terms of reference:
  55
  To assess—
  what further work would be needed in order to learn more of and, if possible, make a judgment about the cause of the loss of the Derbyshire in respect of each option for further work the assessed probability that the cause could be determined with reasonable confidence for each option the costs likely to be incurred what benefit to ship safety would be secured if the cause of the loss of the Derbyshire were established, or if better understanding of the cause of the loss was obtained, and whether in either case this would justify the likely costs involved.
  A technical assessor will be appointed to assist Lord Donaldson. Lord Donaldson's report to me will be published.

  British Rail Chairman
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if a new chairman of British Rail has been appointed to succeed Sir Bob Reid when he leaves the post at the end of March.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. John Welsby, CBE, to take over the chairmanship of British Rail at 1 April 1995. John Welsby has been British Rail's chief executive since 1990, and will also continue in this post.

  His appointment will be for a fixed period to 25 May 1998, at a salary of £180,000 a year. He will be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 40 per cent. of salary, in common with other executive board members and in accordance with Treasury guidelines.

  I am delighted that John Welsby has agreed to become the next chairman. His experience and long-standing commitment to improving our railways will be a great asset in taking forward the privatisation process. I know he is keen to see through these changes that are already underway, in order to develop and improve the railways to give rail user the services that we all want see.

  I should also like to pay tribute to Sir Bob Reid's achievement as chairman over the past five years. He has led BR through a period of substantial changes, which have improved both quality and efficiency in British Rail. I am grateful for all he has done.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what actions have been taken concerning departmental action on bomb warnings since the meeting of 14 June 1989 between assistant secretary C. T. Harris and Mr. and Mrs. Martin Cadman, Lockerbie relatives, and Mr. Derek Dempster, a member of the Air Transport Users' Committee.

  Mr. Norris
  A working group was established in 1990 with the specific aim of reviewing and developing the procedures issued by the Department to the industry for the handling of bomb warnings. As a result revised procedures were introduced into the national aviation security programme in July 1991. In addition, a supporting training package was developed for bomb warning assessors.

  Heathrow Airport
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions over any convenient 56
  period in the last 10 years, a jumbo jet 747 has been parked at the centre stand serviced by the Euro-lounge, at the Euro terminal, terminal 2, Heathrow airport.

  Mr. Norris
  My Department does not maintain such records. However, we have been told by a representative of Heathrow Airport Ltd. that this particular stand area did not, until recently, have the capacity to accommodate a Boeing 747 aircraft.

  Maid of the Seas Aircraft
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the records relating to all the movements for the Pan Am Clipper, Maid of the Seas, from the time it landed at London Heathrow on 21 December 1988 until departure for New York later that evening.

  Mr. Norris
  No. The official records relating to the movements of this aircraft were collated by the Metropolitan police as part of their investigation of the handling of the flight at Heathrow. We understand that such records may be required at a criminal trial.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set up an inquiry to ascertain for what reasons on 21 December 1988 the Pan Am Clipper, Maid of the Seas was parked at the centre stand in an insolated position at Euro terminal, terminal 2, Heathrow before setting off on flight 103, destination New York.

  Mr. Norris
  My Department does not hold full details of the information sought. However, available information shows that the Pan Am Boeing 747 Maid of the Seas did not park at terminal 2. It arrived at Heathrow airport from San Francisco at 12.07 hours on 21 December 1988, and disembarked its passengers at stand K14, terminal 3. The aircraft remained at that stand until 18.04 hours when it departed bound for New York.

  Forth Rail Bridge
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the letter of 14 February from Mr. J. D. Rimmington CB, director general of the Health and Safety Executive, to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what information he has been given by Railtrack about(a) the timetable for painting the lattice tie members on the Forth rail bridge, (b) the timetable for painting the compression members on the Forth rail bridge and (c) the qualifications of operating in a marine environment of those who made the judgments for Railtrack that there are no significant structural implications relating to rust or the movement to a longer term repainting cycle.

  Mr. Watts
  Railtrack is in the second year of an eight-year programme for painting the lattice tie members of the Forth bridge. The strategy for painting the inclined tubular compression members is under review but should he resolved shortly. Railtrack has many structures subject to a marine environment. Judgments about structural integrity and steel work protection are taken on the advice of chartered structural civil and mechanical engineers employed by the railway. An assessment of the condition of the bridge, including advice on the principles to be adopted for future painting, has been carried out for Railtrack by consultants W. A. Fairhurst and Partners.

  Disabled Employees
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  Responses to voluntary questionnaires show that at least 2.4 per cent.—315—of Department of Transport staff have a disability.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to whom and by what method a British traveller can obtain a response to a complaint about security on the Paris departure side of the channel tunnel rail route; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Watts
  All complaints from British-based travellers should be addressed to the customer relations department of European Passenger Services, the United Kingdom operator of the Eurostar service.

  Rail Contracts
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many separate contracts will need to be completed in 1995–96 to enable the managed rail services to operate.

  Mr. Watts
  Railway industry organisations are currently translating into contractual form their existing operational and commercial relationships. No estimate is held centrally of the total number of contracts which will be entered into in 1995–96.

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

  Mr. Norris
  Where the benefits of a light rail scheme are primarily local in character, it is reasonable that the local community should make a significant contribution to the cost. There is no fixed percentage of the cost of such a scheme that the Government are prepared to contribute; in this case, the Government have offered to contribute between £95 million and £105 million, and invited the local community to consider ways in which it could provide the balance of funding required. We are discussing with the local authorities concerned proposals they have put to us on how this might be done.

  Centro—West Midlands PTE—estimates that the scheme will lead to the creation of around 1,300 jobs, including those involved in its construction. It has submitted grant applications for two further lines, one from Snow Hill station to the national exhibition centre and Birmingham international airport, and one from Wolverhampton, through Walsall, to Dudley and Brierley Hill.

  London Buses
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the cost of fitting London buses with particulate control technology.

  Mr. Norris
  This is a matter for London Transport.

  Ticketing
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to implement a 13-week bus and rail card in and around London, similar to the one being introduced in Birmingham.

  Mr. Norris
  Ticketing arrangements are a matter for the relevant operators.

  Exhaust Emissions
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has made of the use of fiscal means for encouraging the refurbishment of heavy duty diesel vehicles with particulate control technology to reduce exhaust emissions and the introduction of low sulphur fuel.

  Mr. Norris
  None.

  Old Sarum Airfield
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons Old Sarum airfield, Salisbury, has not been considered in his review of policy on public safety zones; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The current stage of our review has principally been concerned with broad policy rather than with its application to individual airports.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 30 January,Official Report, column 482, if he has now received representations from the Channel Islands on nuclear waste shipments.

  Mr. Norris
  [pursuant to his reply 27 February 1995 column 464]: I have now received a fax dated 7 February sent to the Secretary of State by Mr. Peter Shanks of Guernsey Friends of the Earth expressing concern about the recent shipment of nuclear waste from France to Japan in a UK-registered vessel.

  I regret that this has only just come to light.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Information Super-highway
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade which Ministers are responsible in each Department for co-ordinating the Government's approach to the information super-highway;

  (2) which Minister is the overall co-ordinator for developing the Government's policy and approach to the information super-highway.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  As the Minister with responsibility for telecommunications and technology, I represented the United Kingdom at the recent G7 conference on the information society, and am playing a leading role in
  59
  co-ordinating the development of Government's policy on information super-highways. I have set up a multimedia industry advisory committee which brings together industry experts, and specialists in health and education technologies, with the aim of assessing the policy implications of the development of multimedia and the opportunities for multimedia applications and communications. Ministers throughout Government are working together to help the UK make the best possible use of information super-highways and multimedia applications, and I am in close consultation with them. For example, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for National Heritage are both Members of the MMIAC.

  I mentioned these matters in evidence to the Trade and Industry Select Committee on 25 January 1995.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Details on the percentage of staff with disabilities employed by the Department were given in the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion) on 7 February 1995,Official Report, columns 139–42.

  The Department of Trade and Industry is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all its staff, including staff with disabilities.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many Crown post offices there were in(a) Lancashire and (b) Great Britain in each year since 1990.

  Mr. Page
  I understand from the Post Office that the numbers of Crown post offices in(a) Lancashire and (b) Great Britain in each year since 1990 are as follows:

  Lancashire

  Great Britain

  1 April 1990

  21

  1,315

  1 April 1991

  19

  1,143

  1 April 1992

  17

  997

  1 April 1993

  16

  896

  1 April 1994

  13

  782

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who are the current members of the Coal Authority; what qualifications they possess; and what will be their annual salary.

  Mr. Page
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Energy gave to the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 31 October 1994,Official Report, columns 992–93, and the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) on 30 November 1994, Official Report, columns 706–07.

  Airbags
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many cars built or assembled in the United Kingdom last year were fitted with(a) airbags and (b) airbags manufactured in the United Kingdom.
  60
  Mr. Page
  The information is not available without incurring a disproportionate cost.

  Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd.
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the representations he has received recently in respect of the activities of Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd.

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: In the last three months my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has received two representations. These were from hon. Members.

EMPLOYMENT

  Pay
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average increase in real take-home pay for all workers between(a) 1973–74 and 1978–79 and (b) 1978–79 and 1993–94.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Real take-home pay for a single worker on average earnings fell by 2 per cent. between 1973–74 and 1978–79 and increased by 48 per cent. between 1978–79 and 1993–94. Real take-home pay for a married couple with two children, on average earnings, also fell by 2 per cent. between 1973–74 and 1978–79 and increased by 41 per cent. between 1978–79 and 1993–94.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of state for Employment what cost-benefit analysis he has made of the proposals in the interdepartmental review of fire safety legislation and enforcement to make the Fire Precautions Act 1971 a relevant statutory provision of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Responses to consultation on the report "Fire Safety Legislation and Enforcement" are still being analysed. Decisions by Ministers will, in due course, be informed by examination of the costs and benefits of each option considered.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to lay before the House his draft safety signs regulations.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The Health and Safety Commission have recently submitted the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary. They are considering the draft regulations in the normal way and an announcement will be made in due course.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to adopt collaborative bids to help regions to improve economic development.

  Mr. Paice
  Local bodies are already encouraged to adopt a collaborative approach to bidding for funds from the single regeneration budget to support economic development and regeneration.

  South Thames TEC
  Ms Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department is seeking to be a preferential creditor following the collapse of South Thames training and enterprise council.

  Mr. Paice
  The Department is a secured creditor of South Thames training and enterprise council by virtue of the debenture it has with the TEC.

  Ms Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what meetings he and his ministers have had with training agencies who had contracted with South Thames TEC, since the TEC's collapse.

  Mr. Paice
  None of the Ministers of this Department has had any meetings with training agencies who had contracted with South Thames training and enterprise council since the appointment of the receiver by South Thames TEC. However, officials from the Government office for London have been in contact with most providers.

  Employment Initiatives
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what correspondence he has had with Coventry and Warwickshire Ltd. about its recent report on economic regeneration in that area; what plans he has to use these data in the future when deciding on funding in this area; and what regional characteristics he considers when developing employment initiatives for the west midlands.

  Mr. Paice
  My officials will be responding to the consultative document. The strategic report due to be produced as a result of the consultation process will be used to access any bids the partnership may make for Government support in the future.

  I am responsible for the design of national employment initiatives to meet the Government's commitment to improving business competitiveness. These initiatives are delivered by local training and enterprise councils who are responsible for ensuring that they are tailored to meet the needs of their area.

  South London TEC
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what claims were made by his Department on South London training and enterprise council for repayment of unsubstantiated claims made on his Department in earlier periods by the council.

  Mr. Paice
  During the last financial year, the Department claimed and recovered £10,000 as part of the routine visits under the financial appraisal and monitoring system. However, further substantive work undertaken by the Department and the National Audit Office identified a significant amount of unsubstantiated claims. At present, work is continuing with providers and the receiver to establish the final number of unsubstantiated claims for the last financial year. A similar exercise is also under way to establish the validity of the current year's unsubstantiated claims before 7 November 1994.

  Airbag Detonators
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which sites in the United Kingdom currently 62
  hold the licences necessary for the manufacture of airbag detonators.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  Airbag detonators, normally referred to as airbag igniters, are explosive devices and, if manufactured in the UK, are subject to licensing under the Explosive Act 1875. However, such licenses are normally written in general terms and therefore it is not possible to identify specifically those premises manufacturing airbag igniters.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  A total of 3.9 per cent. of staff in the Employment Department Group were registered as disabled at 1 July 1994, the latest date for which figures are available. The Department also employs other people with disabilities who have chosen not to register.

TREASURY

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  At 1 July 1994, 0.9 per cent. of Treasury staff were registered as disabled. The Treasury also employs a number of people with disabilities who have chosen not to register, for whom figures are not available.

  Taxpayers
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide an estimate of the number of taxpayers in 1995–296 and the numbers of those who paid tax in each year from 1978–79 until 1994–295.

  Sir George Young
  Most people will pay some tax, either on their income or through expenditure on goods subject to indirect tax.

  Public Bodies
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which the Government is required to consult before legislation proposals; and in respect of which bodies the Government must publish its response to advice supplied by them.

  Mr. Nelson
  : There are none.

  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department(a) have a statutory base, (b) have a statutory requirement to publish an annual report, (c) are required to lay an annual report before Parliament and (d) are required to publish their advice to Government.

  Mr. Nelson
  Of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Treasury the School Teachers'
  63
  Review Body has a statutory base and there is a statutory requirement to publish its reports.

  Postal Services (VAT)
  Ms Primarolo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the revenue from the imposition of the standard rate of VAT on public postal services in the United Kingdom;

  (2) what plans he has to safeguard the VAT exemption on public postal services;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the EU Commission's plans to review the VAT-exempt status given to public postal services.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The exemption from VAT on the public postal services in 1994–95 was estimated to be £200 million.

  VAT exemption on public postal services is safeguarded by the EC sixth VAT directive.

  The Government are unable to make any comment until such time as the Commission makes known its plans or proposals with regard to the current VAT-exempt status of the public postal services.

  Tax Reliefs
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, given the provision in Finance Act 1994, extending relief from a deemed benefit in kind to include sole traders as well as partnerships, the Inland Revenue will not be seeking tax on any open assessments under this section where, had the new rules applied, there would be no liability.

  Sir George Young
  The changes in the 1994 Finance Act to the taxation of beneficial loan arrangements take effect from the tax year 1994–95. It is not proper for the Inland Revenue to anticipate those changes in any assessments for earlier years which happen still to be open. Such discretion would result in some taxpayers being more favourably treated than others, simply because they had more open assessment.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors were taken into account when

  Direct effects of illustrative changes in income tax1

  £million

  Full year cost/yield

  Receipts cost/yield

  1995–96

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Rates

  Change lower rate by Ip2

  520

  800

  650

  Change basic rate by Ip

  1,900

  1,700

  2,000

  Change higher rate by Ip

  460

  290

  470

  Allowances

  Change personal allowance by £100

  600

  490

  620

  Change age-related personal allowance by £1003

  60

  45

  60

  Change married couple's allowance by £1004

  150

  120

  150

  Change age-related married couple's allowance by £1003

  14

  11

  14

  Change aged income limit by £500

  14

  7

  13

  Change all personal allowances by 1 per cent.5

  240

  190

  250

  Change all personal allowances by 10 per cent.5

  2,350

  1,900

  2,450

  Change married couple's and related allowances by I per cent.5

  30

  25

  30

  Change married couple's and related allowances by 10 per cent.5

  290

  230

  300

  Lower rate band

  Increase lower rate band by 10 per cent.

  330

  260

  330

  64
  deciding to extend relief from a deemed benefit in kind to include sole traders as well as partnerships as provided for in the Finance Act 1994.

  Sir George Young
  Where an employee obtains a cheap or interest-free loan from his employer, he is taxed on the value of the benefit. The amount of the taxable benefit is the interest, or extra interest, he would have paid if the loan had been on ordinary commercial terms. But if the loan is used for a purpose which would have enabled commercial interest on it to qualify for tax relief, the extra tax payable on the benefit may be reduced or cancelled out. The purpose of giving relief in this way is so that an employee with a cheap loan used for a qualifying purpose pays the same amount of tax as one who is paid extra salary to meet the interest he is charged on a commercial loan used for the same purpose. Before the Finance Act 1994, this was not always achieved. Where an employee used a cheap or interest-free loan provided by his employer in a separate business in which he was a partner, tax relief was normally available, but there was no tax relief where the loan was used in a business in which the employee was the sole proprietor.

  The 1994 Finance Act amended the rules for taxing cheap or interest-free loans. From 6 April 1994, tax relief is available for cheap or interest-free loans used by an employee in a separate business, whether he is a partner or the sole proprietor. This brought into line the treatment of all cheap or interest-free loans, so that tax relief is available in the same way as for interest on loans used for other purposes such as home loans.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the figures in tables 6, 7 and 10 of the "Tax Ready Reckoner" and "Tax Reliefs", published in July 1994 to take account of the Budget and subsequent financial statement; and if he will include the equivalent full-year costs or yields.

  Sir George Young
  Updated versions of the ready-reckoners are in the tables. The changes are from a base incorporating the levels of tax allowances and so on for 1995–96 announced in the November 1994 Budget. Updated estimates of the costs of tax expenditure and structural reliefs are not available. They will be included in the next edition of the "Tax Ready-Reckoner and Tax Reliefs" booklet to he published in the summer.
  65

  Direct effects of illustrative changes in income tax1

  £million

  Full year cost/yield

  Receipts cost/yield

  1995–96

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Basic rate limit

  Change basic rate limit by 1 per cent.5

  90

  65

  90

  Change basic rate limit by 10 per cent.5increase (cost)

  810

  570

  820

  decrease (yield)

  1,000

  730

  1,050

  Allowances, lower rate band and basic rate limit

  Change all main allowances, lower rate band and basic rate limit 1 per cent.5

  390

  310

  400

  Change all main allowances, lower rate band and basic rate limit by 10 per cent.5

  increase (cost)

  3,800

  2,950

  3,900

  decrease (yield)

  4,200

  3,250

  4,300

  Note:

  1 The estimates are rounded. The extent of rounding reflects the desire to avoid undue compounding of its effects when numbers are pro-rated, rather than the accuracy of the estimates. The figures include consequential effects on the yield of capital gains tax. Changes are assumed to take effect from April 1995.

  2 Including the effects of the change on receipts of ACT and on consequential liability to mainstream corporation tax.

  3 Allowances for those aged 65–74 and aged 75 and over.

  4 Figures include revenue effects of changing the additional personal allowance and widow's bereavement allowance by £100.

  5 Percentage changes are calculated with reference to 1994–95 levels, except for the married couple's allowance and related allowances, where they are calculated with reference to the 1995–96 levels announced in the November 1993 Budget.

  Direct effects of illustrative changes in other direct taxes and national insurance contributions1

  £ million

  Full year cost/yield

  Receipts cost/yield

  1995–96

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Corporation tax2

  Change full rate by 1 percentage point

  800

  570

  890

  Change small companies' rate by 1 percentage point3

  120

  80

  130

  Capital gains tax

  Increase annual exempt amount by £500 for individuals and £250 for trustees

  5

  0

  3

  Inheritance tax

  Change rate by 1 percentage point

  38

  16

  33

  Increase threshold by £5000

  38

  16

  32

  National Insurance Contributions

  Change employee rate by 1 percentage point

  2,020

  1,810

  2,070

  Change main employer rate by 1 percentage point

  2,530

  2,270

  2,620

  Change all lower employer rates by 1 percentage point

  440

  390

  430

  Change Class 2 rate4 by £1

  110

  70

  100

  Change Class 4 rate5 by 1 percentage point

  120

  50

  110

  1 The estimated revenue effects of the changes are rounded. The extent of rounding reflects the desire to avoid undue compounding of its effects when numbers are pro-rated, rather than the accuracy of the estimates. Changes are assumed to take effect from April 1995, except where otherwise specified.

  2 Assessment to corporation tax normally relates to the preceding year. These estimates are the changes to revenue that would occur if the changed rates were applied to profits from 1 April 1994.

  3 These figures ignore effects arising from the imputation system.

  4 Flat rate contributions payable by the self-employed with earnings above the small earnings exemption rate (£3,200).

  5 Profit related contributions payable by the self employed.

  Uncollected Tax
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimated level of uncollected corporation tax(a) in cash terms, (b) of current values and (c) as a percentage for each year since 1979.

  Sir George Young
  The board of the Inland Revenue allows individual remissions of tax as an aspect of their responsibilities for the "care and management" of the direct taxes under section 1(1), Taxes Management Act 1970.
  66
  Sound management requires that tax which is not collected and which cannot practicably be collected—for example, because the taxpayer is insolvent or his whereabouts are unknown—should be written off. Similarly, it is on occasion necessary to remit tax which it would be unconscionable to collect—for example, because the payment would cause gross hardship to the taxpayer. The level of remissions fell for account 93 and is expected to fall again in 1994.
  67
  Insolvencies, where the Inland Revenue has very little control over the amount recoverable, account for the vast majority of remissions of tax.

  The amounts of corporation tax written off for each year since 1979 are as follows:

  Year

  Amount in thousands

  As a percentage of total CT collected

  Amount expressed in 1993 prices £

  1979

  15,182

  0.50

  47,079

  1980

  16,214

  0.49

  44,116

  1981

  20,688

  0.70

  51,295

  1982

  34,396

  0.89

  77,888

  1983

  40,912

  1.00

  85,409

  1984

  58,051

  1.23

  113,034

  1985

  75,342

  1.27

  133,725

  1986

  91,365

  1.11

  150,489

  1987

  92,830

  0.93

  137,960

  1988

  225,597

  1.92

  301,357

  1989

  151,368

  1.05

  186,209

  1990

  184,725

  1.17

  210,984

  1991

  320,929

  2.09

  351,891

  1992

  542,233

  4.64

  571,717

  1993

  417,814

  4.21

  417,814

  1994

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  The figures for 1994 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested. Therefore, the figures are expressed in accordance with 1993 prices.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimated level of uncollected capital gains tax(a) in cash terms, (b) at current values and (c) as a percentage for each year since 1979.

  Sir George Young
  The board of the inland Revenue allows individual remissions of tax as an aspect of their responsibilities for the "care and management" of the direct taxes under section 1(1), Taxes Management Act 1970.

  Sound management requires that tax which is not collected and which cannot practicably be collected—that is because the taxpayer is insolvent or his whereabouts are unknown—should be written off. Similarly, it is on occasion necessary to remit tax which it would be unconscionable to collect–that is because the payment would cause gross hardship to the taxpayer. The amount remitted fell for account 93 and is expected to fall again in 1994.

  Insolvencies, where the Inland Revenue has very little control over the amount recoverable, account for the vast majority of remissions of tax.

  The amounts of capital gains tax written off for each year since 1979 are as follows:

  Year

  Amount in thousands

  As a percentage of total CGT collected

  Amount Expressed in 1993 prices £

  1979

  3,048

  0.73

  9,452

  1980

  3,591

  0.71

  9,771

  1981

  2,734

  0.61

  6,779

  1982

  4,868

  0.78

  11,023

  1983

  6,496

  1.01

  13.561

  1984

  5,998

  0.4

  11,679

  1985

  7,562

  0.93

  13,422

  1986

  10,064

  0.99

  16,576

  1987

  8,822

  0.79

  13,111

  68

  Year

  Amount in thousands

  As a percentage of total CGT collected

  Amount Expressed in 1993 prices £

  1988

  12,680

  0.80

  16,938

  1989

  10,864

  0.47

  13,365

  1990

  12,002

  0.64

  13,708

  1991

  29,721

  1.58

  32,588

  1992

  57,836

  4.69

  60,981

  1993

  50,397

  4.56

  50,397

  1994

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  The figures for 1994 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested. Therefore, the figures are expressed in accordance with 1993 prices.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimated level of uncollected schedule D tax(a) in cash terms, (b) as current values and (c) as a percentage for each year since 1979.

  Sir George Young
  The board of the Inland Revenue allows individual remissions of tax as an aspect of their responsibilities for the "care and management" of the direct taxes under section 1(1), Taxes Management Act 1970.

  Sound management requires that tax which is not collected and which cannot be practicably collected—for example, because the taxpayer is insolvent or his whereabouts are unknown—should be written off. Similarly, it is on occasion necessary to remit tax which it would be unconscionable to collect—for example, because the payment would cause gross hardship to the taxpayer. The amount remitted fell for account 93 and is expected to fall again in 1994.

  Insolvencies, where the Inland Revenue has very little control over the amount recoverable, account for the vast majority of remissions of tax.

  The amounts of schedule D tax written off for each year since 1979 are as follows:

  Year

  Amount in thousands

  As a percentage of total schedule D collected

  Amount expressed in 1993 prices £

  1979

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1980

  33,081

  0.79

  90,010

  1981

  41,552

  0.75

  103,028

  1982

  52,763

  0.84

  119,479

  1983

  68,536

  1.04

  143,078

  1984

  91,229

  1.32

  177,636

  1985

  90,196

  1.18

  160,090

  1986

  124,297

  1.29

  204,732

  1987

  133,878

  1.88

  198,964

  1988

  252,424

  3.06

  337,193

  1989

  242,024

  2.53

  297,731

  1990

  254,989

  2.35

  291,237

  1991

  383,566

  3.17

  420,571

  1992

  703,422

  5.16

  741,670

  1993

  701,787

  5.58

  701,787

  1994

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  The figures for 1994 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested. Therefore, the figures are expressed in accordance with 1993 prices.

  Separate figures are not available for 1979.
  69
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimated level of uncollected PAYE and national insurance contributions deducted but not paid over to the Revenue(a) in cash terms, (b) at current values and (c) as a percentage for each year since 1979.

  Sir George Young
  The board of the Inland Revenue allows individual remissions of tax as an aspect of their responsibilities for the "care and management" of the direct taxes under Section 1(1), Taxes Management Act 1970.

  Year

  PAYE amounts in £ thousands

  As a percentage of total PAYE collected

  Amount expressed in 1993 prices

  Classes 1 and 1A NIC amount in £ thousands

  As a percentage of total NIC classes 1 and 1A collected

  Amount expressed in 1993 prices

  1979

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1980

  9,914

  0.05

  26,975

  1,056

  0.01

  2,873

  1981

  11,432

  0.08

  28,345

  1,158

  0.01

  2,871

  1982

  15,281

  0.06

  34,603

  1,261

  0.01

  2,855

  1983

  22,622

  0.08

  47,227

  1,555

  0.01

  3,246

  1984

  33,312

  0.11

  64,863

  1,971

  0.01

  3,838

  1985

  46,695

  0.14

  82,879

  2,213

  0.01

  3,928

  1986

  60,915

  0.17

  100,334

  4,377

  0.02

  7,209

  1987

  92,560

  0.25

  137,559

  8,514

  0.03

  12,653

  1988

  130,724

  0.33

  174,624

  15,894

  0.06

  21,231

  1989

  122,890

  0.28

  151,176

  15,127

  0.05

  18,609

  1990

  107,091

  0.22

  122,314

  17,239

  0.05

  19,689

  1991

  135,285

  0.26

  148,307

  21,644

  0.06

  23,732

  1992

  381,172

  0.71

  401,898

  32,570

  0.09

  34,341

  1993

  388,190

  0.72

  388,190

  41,257

  0.1

  41,257

  1994

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  The figures for 1994 are not sufficiently complete to allow the necessary comparison to be made and consequently the information is not available in the form requested. Therefore, the figures are expressed in accordance with 1993 prices.

  Separate figures are not available for 1979.

  Tax Collection Staff
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many collection staff were working for the Inland Revenue; and how many were working in the areas of(a) capital gains tax; (b) schedule D tax, (c)

  Year

  Total

  Capital gains tax

  Schedule D tax

  Corporation tax

  PAYE

  1978–79

  11,041

  135

  5,873

  560

  4,473

  1979–80

  10,648

  148

  5,701

  584

  4,215

  1980–81

  10,222

  143

  5,529

  597

  3,953

  1981–82

  10,124

  126

  5,747

  409

  3,842

  1982–83

  10,221

  116

  5,673

  390

  4,042

  1983–84

  10,171

  113

  5,570

  394

  4,094

  1984–85

  9,339

  92

  4,674

  557

  4,016

  1985–86

  8,443

  92

  4,596

  559

  3,196

  1986–87

  7,989

  85

  4,472

  530

  2,902

  1987–88

  7,795

  105

  4,250

  538

  2,902

  1988–89

  7,866

  121

  4,243

  571

  2,931

  1989–90

  7,879

  92

  4,243

  570

  2,974

  1990–91

  7,846

  79

  4,410

  549

  2,808

  1991–92

  8,187

  70

  4,376

  532

  3,209

  1992–93

  8,410

  69

  4,730

  492

  3,119

  1993–94

  8,173

  68

  4,695

  465

  2,945

  70
  Sound management requires that tax which is not collected and which cannot practicably be collected—for example, because the taxpayer is insolvent or his whereabouts are unknown—should he written off.

  Insolvencies, where the Inland Revenue has very little control over the amount recoverable, account for the vast majority of remissions of tax.

  The amounts of PAYE and national insurance contributions uncollected and consequently remitted for written off for each year since 1979 are as follows:

  corporation tax, (d) PAYE and (e) national insurance contributions in each year since 1979.

  Sir George Young
  Excluding staff employed on central administration, the table sets out the total numbers of Inland Revenue staff engaged on the collection of tax within the Department's accounts offices, local network, and enforcement offices for each year since 1978–79 and how many were working in the areas of(a) capital gains tax, (b) schedule D tax, (c) corporation tax and (d) PAYE. Under (d) the figures include staff used in collecting PAYE from employers and a relatively small number of schedule E tax assessments. As resource usage of national insurance contribution work is incidental to mainstream tax collection it is not separately recorded.

  Capital
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current interest rate differential between publicly provided capital for the national health service education and British Rail and capital raised through his private finance initiative.

  Sir George Young
  For appraisal purposes, the pre-tax cost of capital for central Government activities is normally taken as 6 per cent. in real terms, or its nominal equivalent. For nationalised industries, financial objectives are specified in terms of a required rate of return of 8 per cent. in real terms. The cost of capital raised for projects under the private finance initiative will depend on the creditworthiness of the body concerned and the types of financing which best fit the project.

  Cross-border Shopping
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the annual loss of tax revenue from cross-border shopping; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The latest annual estimates were included in HM Customs and Excise's submission to the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee and published in the Committee's report on 23 November 1994, 1994–95 Session, 1st report, HC35.

  Fraud
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 27 February,Official Report, column 401, in what form the data on fraud are collected.

  Sir George Young
  The current reporting arrangements are set out in chapter 37 of "Government Accounting". The chapter includes the form to be used by Departments in reporting fraud.

  Living Standards
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the change in the standard of living of manual workers in manufacturing relative to white-collar workers in the private sector since 1979.

  Mr. Aitken
  Figures based on data from the new earnings survey show that between 1979 and 1994 average gross real earnings of manual workers in manufacturing rose by 20 per cent., compared to 57 per cent. for non-manual workers in the private sector as a whole.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the percentage change in Britain's gross domestic product since the first quarter of 1990.

  Mr. Nelson
  The growth in real GDP—gross domestic product at constant factor cost—between the first quarter of 1990 and the fourth quarter of 1994 was 4.2 per cent.

  Price Stability
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the relative priority attached by Her Majesty's Government to price stability and to maximising living standards.
  72
  Mr. Aitken
  The objective of the Government's economic policy is to promote sustainable growth and increasing prosperity. Permanently low inflation, combined with sound public finances and structural policies to improve the long-term performance of the economy, is the best way to achieve this objective.

  National Power and PowerGen
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Government's sale of substantially all of its shareholdings in National Power Plc and PowerGen plc.

  Sir George Young
  I am pleased to report that the Government's United Kingdom public offer and international offers of National Power and PowerGen shares were successfully completed this morning, when dealings in interim rights started on the London Stock Exchange.

  As a result of bids received in the international offers, the prices of the third instalments for all investors in the UK public offer and the international offers were set at 136p per National Power interim right and 142p per PowerGen interim right.

  Accordingly, the price for National Power interim rights purchased in the UK public offer was 476p per share, comprising 170p paid on successful application, 170p to be paid by 6 February 1996 and 136p to be paid by 17 September 1996.

  The price for PowerGen interim rights purchased in the United Kingdom public offer was 512p per share, comprising 185p paid on successful application, 185p to be paid by 6 February 1996 and 142p to be paid by 17 September 1996.

  The price for interim rights purchased in the international offer of National Power shares was 486p per share, comprising 180p paid on successful application, 170p to be paid by 6 February 1996 and 136p to be paid by 17 September 1996.

  The price for interim rights purchased in the international offer of PowerGen shares was 522p per share, comprising 195p paid on successful application, 185p to be paid by 6 February 1996 and 142p to be paid by 17 September 1996.

  The Government offered for sale up to 371.8 million National Power shares and 238.3 million PowerGen shares in the UK public offer and the international offers.

  Some 1.1 million applications were received in the UK public offer for a total of some 367 million National Power and some 245 million PowerGen shares. This represented two times the share initially expected to be sold in the UK public offer. In response to this demand, the Government increased the total number of shares allotted to the UK public offer to 229 million National Power and 153 million PowerGen shares. At this level, the number of shares applied for in the UK public offer represented some 1.6 times the share available.

  Over 98 per cent. of applicants in the UK public offer received an allocation of shares. Half of all applicants had their applications met in full.

  Almost 248,000 qualifying National Power and PowerGen shareholders and more than 2,600 eligible National Power and PowerGen employees made applications in the UK public offer. All such applicants

  73
  received an allocation of National Power or PowerGen shares, as appropriate.

  Excluding the retail tender, 108.5 million National Power shares and 56.1 million PowerGen shares were allocated to bidders in the international offers. This number does not include any shares that Kleinwort Benson Ltd. and Barclays de Zoete Wedd Securities Ltd. may have over-allotted in connection with the international offers. The extent of any such over-allotment will not be disclosed until later. As already announced, Kleinwort Benson Lid. and Barclays de Zoete Wedd Securities Ltd. may also effect stabilisation transactions.

  Individual investors bidding in the UK retail tender bid for some 24 million shares in National Power and 28 million shares in PowerGen. Of these numbers, some 10 million shares and some 12 million shares, respectively, were in respect of PEP applications.

  In addition to the shares sold in the UK public offer and the International Offers, Kleinwort Benson Ltd. and Barclays de Zoete Wedd Securities Ltd. as global co-ordinators for the s ale, hold an option to acquire from Her Majesty's Treasury up to a further 37.2 million National Power and 23.8 million PowerGen shares for the purpose of meeting any over-allotment made by them in connection with the relevant International Offer. This option must be exercised by 5 April 1995.

  Pursuant to an agreement with HM Treasury, National Power plc purchased 98 million shares in conjunction with the offers, at a price consistent with the international offer price. Total gross proceeds from this purchase amount to some £453 million and will be received in this financial year.

  Similarly, pursuant to an agreement to HM Treasury, PowerGen plc has purchased 60 million shares in conjunction with the offers, at a price consistent with the international offer price. Total gross proceeds amount to some £292 million and will be received in this financial year.

  Total gross proceeds from the UK public offer, the international offers and share repurchases amount to some £3,642 million, of which some £1,782 million is expected to be received in this financial year.

  Total gross proceeds may be further increased by a maximum of £305 million to the extent that, if at all, the global co-ordinator, Kleinwort Benson Ltd and Barclays de Zoete Wedd Securities Ltd. exercises its option to acquire further shares.

  The costs to the Government of the National Power and PowerGen shares offers, and of the share repurchase arrangements, are estimated to be as follows:

  UK Offers

  £ million

  Marketing

  15.2

  Share Shop Commissions

  18.7

  Prospectus production and distribution

  0.6

  Receiving Banks

  3.1

  Advisers' fees and expenses

  7.9

  Total (UK Offers)

  45.6

  International Offers commissions and other costs

  15.1

  Total (UK and Overseas Offers)

  60.7

  74
  Those costs represent about 1.7 per cent. of the estimated total proceeds due from the sale of shares—excluding any shares that the global co-ordinator have an option to purchase. The costs exclude stamp duty and VAT on services provided to the Government, which are not net costs to the Exchequer. There will be some further expenditure in 1995–96 onwards in respect of instalment collection and the issue of bonus shares.

  Following the offers, the purchase of shares by National Power and PowerGen and assuming the exercise in full of the option over National Power and PowerGen shares granted by Her Majesty's Treasury to Kleinwort Benson Ltd. and Barlcays de Zoete Wedd Securities Ltd., Her Majesty's Treasury expects to hold not more than 1 per cent. of the issued share capital of either company. These amounts comprise principally shares that may he needed to meet share bonus entitlements under the UK public offer.

  Muriel Nissel
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange for a copy to he placed in the Library of Muriel Nissel's article written for the latest issue of Social Trends but not published.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 16 February 1995]: The article Mrs. Nissel submitted to the CSO was not included in the latest edition of Social Trends. However, I understand that it will be published in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Copies of the journal are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Barings Bank
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to public funds for the Bank of England of the Bank's offer to provide liquidity for the rescue of Barings; and if he will instruct the Bank to make no further offers of this nature.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 2 March 1995]: As my right hon. and learned Friend told the House on Monday 27 February, the Bank of England stands ready to provide liquidity to the banking system to ensure that it continues to function normally. There was no rescue of Barings and the Governor did not recommend that public funds should he used for this purpose.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made as to by what method and to what extent the asset management arm of Barings is ring fenced to protect it from any disadvantageous situations arising in its other divisions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 2 March 1995]: Barings is now in the hands of the administrators. The regulatory requirements applying to fund management should protect the fund management arm from losses elsewhere in the group, but any investors' cash balances held on deposit at Barings Bank will he frozen. Current discussions between the administrators and the ING Group raise the prospect that a favourable settlement may be obtained.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the position of local authorities who had money on short-term deposit with Barings bank; and if he will make a statement.
  75
  Mr. Nelson
  [holding reply 2 March 1995]: The administrators are currently engaged in identifying the options for realising maximum benefits for creditors of Barings. Current discussions between the administrators and the ING Group raise the prospect that a favourable settlement may be obtained, but until the administration order is lifted, deposits remain frozen.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that no public money will be used directly or indirectly in any attempt to rescue Barings and that the Bank of England should not put any of its own money at risk in such a rescue attempt.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 2 March 1995]: As my right hon. and learned Friend, the Chancellor told the House on Monday 27 February, the Governor did not recommend, and in any event he would not have agreed, that public funds should be used to rescue Barings.

  Derivatives Markets
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for regulation of derivative markets to ensure that the bank exposure is geared to a fixed ratio to the capital of the bank concerned.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 2 March 1995]: We have no current proposals for further regulation of derivatives. The Bank of England already sets a variety of capital requirements for credit institutions depending on the nature of business in which they are engaged. The capital adequacy directive, which comes into force at the end of this year, provides for EU-wide rules on the capital which must be held against market risks, including those involved in derivatives markets.

  As my right hon. and learned Friend told the House on Monday 27 February, he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him. Any lessons to be drawn must await a thorough analysis.

  Banks (Regulation)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the Bank of England power to inspect the operations and control structures, and audit the accounts of, all overseas operations of subsidiaries of British banks.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 2 March 1995]: The Banking Act 1987 already gives the Bank of England extensive powers to supervise the worldwide operations of UK authorised institutions. These powers do not, however, apply directly to non-banking subsidiaries. Their supervision requires co-operation with other relevant regulators. As my right hon. and learned Friend, the Chancellor told the House on Monday 27 February, he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him. Any lessons to he drawn must await a thorough analysis.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proposals he has for setting up an independent regulator with its own inspectors and audit teams to regulate banking.

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 2 March 1995]: The Bank of England already discharges these responsibilities.

PRIME MINISTER

  Northern Region
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's achievements in the northern region since 1979.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government have had many achievements in the northern region since 1979 as our policies have created a favourable economic climate for growth. During this period the region has undergone the biggest transformation since the 19th century with the emergence of a new and diverse industrial base. Pharmaceutical, food processing, clothing, light engineering, electronics and car manufacture have replaced traditional industries. In the area covered by the Government office for the north-east this change has come about through a range of measures:
  the attraction of £3 billion overseas investment since 1985, the most notable successes of which were Nissan and Samsung and a further £1.3 billion private sector investment into the areas covered by the Tyne and Wear and Teesside Development Corporations since 1987, creating and safeguarding over 30,000 jobs;over 5,500 hectares of derelict land reclaimed, including over 700 by the Urban Development Corporations in Tyne and Wear and on Teesside;in partnership with other organisations, the region's Training and Enterprise Councils have successfully developed innovative solutions to the training and enterprise needs of their areas including the establishment of a business innovation Centre in Sunderland and a management training and higher education facility in Northumberland. TEC's in the region have also piloted a number of new initiatives: Open Learning Credits, Youth Credits, Adult Credits, the Out of School Childcare Grant, Workstart and Skillchoice.;assisting over 26,000 unemployed people to start their own businesses since 1987 through the Businesses Start Up Scheme run by Training and Enterprise Councils;820,000 people placed in jobs by the Employment Service since 1986:unemployment has fallen by 16,100 or nearly 10 per cent. since the national peak in December 1992;a substantial number of homes built and improved;over 4,000 jobs created, 5,000 jobs preserved and 550 new businesses assisted by the South Tyneside and Stockton and Thornaby Task Force; and,an increase in the numbers of young people staying in full-time education after reaching school leaving age. 12.4 per cent of those leaving schools in the region in 1992–93 intended to pursue a Degree course.
  The region also piloted the development of job clubs, now a successful national programme and expects to become the first to have contracted out careers services and to have facilitated a comprehensive network of Business Links.

  Internet
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Internet E-mail numbers of all Government Ministers.

  The Prime Minister
  It is a matter for individual Ministers to decide whether to make public their Internet electronic mail addresses. The two Ministers with responsibility for use of the Internet are the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science and the Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whose E-mail addresses are publicly available.

  Government Policy
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister what role the Cabinet plays in the formulation of(a) economic policy, (b) monetary policy and (c) policy on a single European currency.

  The Prime Minister
  The Cabinet is the ultimate arbitrator of all aspects of Government policy.

  Social Development Summit
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 27 February,Official Report, column 412, if the Minister for Overseas Development, in representing him at the Heads of State world summit for social development in Copenhagen, is responsible for negotiating those aspects of the draft declaration and action programme covering national action within the United Kingdom to reduce inequality and poverty and promote full employment and social integration.

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development will represent me at the high level segment of the summit on 11-12 March. My right hon. and noble Friend will make a statement setting out the United Kingdom perspective on the issues covered by the summit.

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 27 February,Official Report, column 412, if he will publish briefs which have been prepared by his Government for discussion at the world summit for social development about social development and anti-poverty measures taken and proposed to be taken in the United Kingdom.

  The Prime Minister
  There are no plans to do so. It is not usual to publish briefing provided by officials to Ministers. The speeches of my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Overseas Development will be published, and copies will be placed in the Library.

  Lockerbie
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has which would allow Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the United States of America to resolve the Lockerbie affair other than by way of instituting criminal proceeding in Scotland or the United States of America; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The Lockerbie bombing was a crime committed against a United States aircraft over Scotland. It has been investigated from Scotland with the co-operation of the United States authorities. The trial of those accused of this terrible crime must take place in Scotland or the United States. This has been confirmed by the UN Security Council.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with President Clinton the role in Beirut in 1988 of Ron Carviene, Bill Leyene and Dan O'Connor, tinder the command of Matthew Gannon and Charles McKee.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to do so.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had when he last met President Clinton on the subject of the setting up of an international court to try those persons alleged to have perpetrated the murders of the passengers and crew members of Pan Am flight 103 and residents of Lockerbie in December 1988; and if he will make a statement.
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  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the memorandum for No. 10 Downing street in 1989 adducing the reasons why Her Majesty's Government would not allow the public inquiry into the Lockerbie crime; and at what level the decision on the public inquiry was taken.

  The Prime Minister
  It is not usual practice to place internal Government correspondence in the Library. I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Linlithgow on 10 January,Official Report, column 20.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his letter of 30 August 1994 to the hon. Member for Linlithgow what examination has taken place of the Toshiba and Helsinki warnings in relation to Lockerbie since the fatal accident inquiry.

  The Prime Minister
  The fatal accident inquiry, which took place 22 months after the disaster, examined both warnings in some detail. In his determination, the Sheriff Principal concluded that the so-called Toshiba warning was not relevant to the circumstances of the deaths and that the so-called Helsinki warning lacked credibility. It has therefore not been considered necessary to conduct further examinations into these.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations Her Majesty's Government have had from the German Government about their interrogation of Edwin Bolliers's Statsi control and the sale of timing devices to the Statsi.

  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss the implications with President Clinton of the FBI briefing paper regarding Iranian links and baggage being unloaded on Air Malta 180 destination Frankfurt airport.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if British authorities have interviewed Marwin Khreesat, a bomb maker, briefly detained and then released in Neuss, Germany;

  (2) if he will put the transcript of the interview with Mr. Ghandanfar and Mr. Dalkamouni in the Library.

  The Prime Minister
  As the hon. Gentleman well knows, it would he wrong to reveal details of the evidence in a criminal case while proceedings are pending.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will ask Chancellor Kohl the reasons why in October 1988 the Verfassungschütz released certain Palestinians and their bomb-making equipment.

  The Prime Minister
  The release of detainees from German prisons is a matter entirely for the German authorities.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with Chancellor Kohl the prima facie evidence that a German-based terrorist organisation used its knowledge of a covert United States drugs operation to switch an unaccompanied bag containing drugs with an identical bag containing a bomb which destroyed Pan Am Flight 103.

  The Prime Minister
  The allegation has been examined. No evidence has been found to support it.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received from Lockerbie victims' families regarding information conveyed to them by
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  members of the United States commission about the extent of the information available to United States and United Kingdom Governments and the probability of its publication; what elements of the United States commission's findings support the families' version; and if he will place in the Library the United Kingdom responses to these findings.

  The Prime Minister
  I have recently received a letter from the family of a Lockerbie victim which referred to the United States President's commission on aviation security and terrorism. A copy of the commission's report, dated May 1990 will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment Her Majesty's Government has made of the role of Khaled Jaafar, a Lebanese victim of the Lockerbie bombing.

  The Prime Minister
  The fatal accident inquiry in 1990–91 considered allegations of involvement of Khaled Jaafar in the bombing. In his determination, the sheriff principal concluded that there was no connection between Mr. Jaafar and the suitcase which contained the bomb.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister on what evidence British officials publicly dismissed a document of the United States Air Force, air intelligence unit, asserting that Ali Akbar Mostashemi, former Iranian Interior Minister, paid $10 million to terrorist gangs to carry out the attack on Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988, as based on dud intelligence.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman on 26 January,Official Report, columns 299–300.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment Her Majesty's Government have made of American reports about the destruction of Pan Am 103, based on reports from defecting Iranian pilots.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman on 26 January,Official Report, columns 299–300

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 25 January, what strategy, other than demanding a trial of Libyan suspects, Her Majesty's Government have for obtaining justice for all the victims of the crime of Lockerbie.
  The Prime Minister: The Lockerbie investigation has been the most exhaustive ever undertaken in this country. It remains open but has to date uncovered evidence to support charges against the two Libyans accused. Our demands, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council have been for the surrender of the accused for trial in the United States or Scotland, the satisfaction of French justice over the bombing of UTA 772, the payment of appropriate compensation and concrete proof from Libya that it has renounced terrorism. I can see no other means of meeting the legitimate demands for justice than by trial of the persons alleged to be responsible before a criminal court properly exercising jurisdiction in respect of these matters.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government were informed on or about 19 December 1988 of the travel plans of Major Charles McKee by the US Drug Enforcement Agency in Cyprus.

  The Prime Minister
  No. I understand Major McKee was not an employee of the DEA.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to his answer on 14 February,Official Report, column 571,
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  he will identify the partners to whom he referred in relation to discussions about Lockerbie and UTH 772.

  The Prime Minister
  The United States, France, other EU states and other friendly countries. We work most closely with the United States and France, the other states most seriously affected by the Lockerbie and UTA bombings. The Lockerbie issue is raised in bilateral contacts with a wide range of countries.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what information came to Her Majesty's Government about approaches by members of the Juafar family offering precise testimony about Hezbollah and Achmed Tibril and their role in using a member of the Juafar family to get a bomb on board Pan Am Flight 103.

  The Prime Minister
  No such approaches have been received.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what reports the United Kingdom and the United States authorities in Cyprus received from Mr. David Lovejoy, an employee of the United States Government directly or through other sources on the movements of the United States hostage rescue team, including Matthew Gannon and Major Charles McKee subsequently killed at Lockerbie, before the destruction of Pan Am 103; and if he will discuss with President Clinton the reasons why these reports were sought.

  The Prime Minister
  The British authorities in Cyprus neither sought nor received any such reports.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Private Secretary, Mr. Edward Oakden's letter of 18 January to the relatives of the Lockerbie victims, if he will bring forward proposals whereby fatal accident inquiry presiding judges can have access to intelligence information.

  The Prime Minister
  Section 4(3) of the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths (Scotland) Act 1976 requires that, subject to an exception relating to the reporting of matters affecting persons under the age of 17, any fatal accident inquiry shall be open to the public. There are no proposals to amend that provision.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 15 February on Lockerbie, if he will list the witnesses interviewed by the German authorities at the request of, or in consultation with, the Scottish authorities and on what dates; and on what occasions Scottish officers were present, assisting at interviews.

  The Prime Minister
  Disclosure of the fact the Messrs Ghadanfar and Dalkamouni were interviewed was an exceptional step taken only because of the unwarranted criticisms which had been, and were continuing to be, made of the German authorities and the Scottish police. It would not be appropriate to go beyond this by discussing details of confidential communications between the Scottish police and prosecuting authorities and their counterparts in Germany, or indeed in any other country.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow on 26 January,Official Report, column 300, in what month of what year allegations were first made to the effect that Ali Akbar Mostashemi had paid $10 million to have the Lockerbie bombing carried out; who were the competent authorities to whom the Prime Minister refers; and how much of the

  81
  alleged contradicting material came from Abdul Meged Jiacha.

  The Prime Minister
  This allegation first appeared in the British press in September 1989. I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Gentleman on 26 January,Official Report, column 299–300.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with President Clinton the statement of Mr. Vincent Cannistraro, head of the CIA counter-terrorism operations until 1990, that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine general command was implicated in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 and had been planning other operations against United States and Israeli targets when some of its members' squad were arrested in Frankfurt and that the operation had been bankrolled by Iranians.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with President Clinton the posting of warnings about Pan Am flight 103 on United States embassy bulletin boards, and the subsequent United States directive requiring imprisonment of officials, should they discuss warnings with family, friends, and colleagues in the absence of a public warning.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to do so.

  European Courts
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had with the leaders of the other member states of the European Union, on the modification of structure, membership and functions of(a) the European Court of Auditors, (b) the European court of first instance, and (c) the European Court of Justice; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  We did not discuss these issues at the last European Council meeting in Essen, but, as I said in my December statement to the House, we did emphasise that, in the interests of combating fraud and waste, the Council must ensure that the Court of Auditors' reports are rigorously scrutinised and followed up.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps he has taken to assist the speedy conclusion of the Scott inquiry and to ensure that the report is published before 1 May.

  The Prime Minister
  As I said when I announced the terms of reference for the inquiry on 16 November 1992,Official Report, columns 74–75, Lord Justice Scott will be entirely free to decide on the publication of his report. The inquiry will report to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. The Government continue to give Sir Richard Scott's inquiry the fullest possible co-operation.

  Disabled People
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the percentage of disabled people directly employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  For these purposes, my office is part of the Cabinet Office. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Secretary Office of Public Service and 82
  Science gave the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion) on 1 February, Official Report, column 712.

  Public Inquiries
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, in what circumstances a public inquiry may take evidence on intelligence matters in camera.

  The Prime Minister
  Whether and to what extent a public inquiry may take evidence in camera depends on the powers given to the inquiry when it is established.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if the United Kingdom has an extradition treaty with Libya.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Command Papers
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list White Papers, Green Papers and pamphlets issued by his Department, or agencies for which it is responsible, in 1994 giving, in each case, the total cost to the Exchequer of their publication and distribution; and what was the total equivalent cost in 1980.

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 2 March 1995]: Her Majesty's Stationery Office aims to recover all production and distribution costs from the sales revenue of all White Papers and Green Papers which it publishes. The cost to my Office of the 1994 pay review body reports was approximately £8,000. Figures for 1980 are not available.

SCOTLAND

  Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS trust most recently sought a meeting with him; what date the meeting took place; what matters were discussed; when the next meeting is planned; what matters will be discussed; if he intends to raise the matter of care in the community provision in Renfrewshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has not received a request from the Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS trust for a meeting and there are no current plans for a meeting to be held at a future date.

  My right hon. Friend looks forward to receiving a copy of Argyll and Clyde health board's draft joint community care plan. Only then can an assessment he made of the planned provision and its impact upon the services currently provided by the Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS trust.

  Case Statistics
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many cases under summary procedure, have been brought to trial within 14 days by(a) the Paisley procurator fiscal, and (b) other procurator fiscal offices in the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
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  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is not available. Procurators fiscal are required to keep a record only of the average number of weeks between pleading and trial diet. The period will vary according to the particulars of the case. For example, in custody cases under summary procedure, the trial must commence within 40 days of the bringing of the complaint in court. If the accused is not in custody, there is likely to be a delay of several weeks between the diets, unless the circumstances justify the fixing of an early trial diet. Early diets are often fixed in cases involving children or where the anticipated availability of particular witnesses makes an early diet desirable.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what guidelines he has issued to NHS trusts in Scotland regarding the use of staff facilities including canteens and cafeterias, for hiring out for commercial catering functions; what guidelines he has issued to prohibit or discourage such practice and use; what assessment he has made of the practice of the Royal Alexandra hospital, Paisley; what action he intends to take; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what facilities are available in the Royal Alexandra hospital, Paisley for supplying hot meals to staff; for what reasons such facilities are not always available for staff use; what alternative arrangements are made on such occasions; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) when the dance floor in the staff facilities at the Royal Alexander hospital in Paisley was installed; how much it cost; who approved the expenditure; what cost-benefit analysis was carried out; what were the results of that study; what are the precise projections of financial commercial gain to the trust; to what use any profit will be applied; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Section 7 of the Health and Medicines Act 1988 gives health bodies the power to generate additional funds to be used for the purposes of enhancing and improving patient care. Income generation is now an integral part of all NHS activity, but no specific guidance has been issued to NHS trusts regarding the use of staff facilities. It is for each NHS trust to determine opportunities for generating income from non-clinical activities.

  There have only been two occasions when the main dining room at the Royal Alexander hospital has been closed for the night meal service. On these occasions staff were informed in advance that an alternative facility would be available in the maternity unit dining room, an area which is not normally open at night. Hot food was available to staff on both these occasions.

  An area suitable for dancing was created within the dining room in December 1994 at a cost of £3,000. This was met from hospital endowment funds following approval by the trust's investments committee. The income generated will he re-invested in the endowment funds. No Exchequer funds were involved.

  The dining room has been hired out for functions for a number of years, and the income received is invested in enhancing patient care services. The main impetus for improved social facilities came from hospital staff.

  Procurator Fiscal's Office, Paisley
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what assessment he has made of whether the procurator fiscal's office in the sheriffdom of Paisley has operated efficiently, effectively, objectively and impartially in all cases placed before it since 1984; if he will make particular reference to those cases involving people who were elected as a councillor at the time the charge was made against them; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will instruct an independent inquiry into the efficiency, effectiveness and operational and objective impartiality of the procurator fiscal's office in the Paisley sheriffdom;

  (3) if he will make a statement on his assessment of the efficiency, effectiveness and operational and objective impartiality of the procurator fiscal's office in the Paisley sheriffdom since 1984;

  (4) what is the normal involvement of the Crown Office in matters of summary procedure; how many such cases have been referred by the procurator fiscal at Paisley to the Crown Office in each of the past 10 years; what were the reasons and circumstances for these referrals; how many of these involved elected councillors; and if he will make a statement;

  (5) what assessment he has made of whether, in relation to the policy and operation of Paisley procurator fiscal's office, any person accused or suspected of any criminal offence was more or less likely to be charged because they held elected office as a councillor; and if he will make a statement;

  (6) what assessment he has made of whether all prosecutions conducted by the Paisley procurator fiscal's office since 1984, where the suspect or accused held elected office as a member of a local authority at the time of alleged offence, have been conducted properly and in the same manner as those not holding such office and that the involvement of Strathclyde police in all such cases has been conducted properly, and in the same manner as cases which did not involve the holder of such office; and if he will make a statement.

  (7) what assessment he has made of the operation and policy of the procurator fiscal's office in Paisley; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate is satisfied that the procurator fiscal and his deputes reach decisions, including those relating to cases involving elected councillors, on an impartial basis. Such cases are dealt with on exactly the same basis as reports relating to any other accused persons. The decision whether to take proceedings and the nature of any proceedings will be determined on the basis of the procurator fiscal's assessment of all the relevant circumstances including the public interest. There is no requirement to report summary cases to the Crown Office, although procurators fiscal are free to do so if they wish to seek Crown counsel's advice on any aspect of the case. Procurators fiscal do not keep a record of cases involving councillors or of cases reported to the Crown Office. Accordingly, no information is available as to the number of cases referred to the Crown Office by the procurator fiscal at Paisley.

  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate is aware, however, of three cases, involving elected councillors, reported to the procurator fiscal at Paisley.

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  In two of these cases criminal proceedings were taken and in one no criminal proceedings were taken. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate is satisfied that in each case the decision represented an appropriate exercise of the procurator fiscal's discretion, and that the decisions were arrived at impartially. The effectiveness and efficiency of all procurator fiscal offices is kepi under review by the Crown Office through a programme of office reviews. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate does not intend to instruct an independent inquiry into the operation of the Paisley office.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, in how many cases under summary procedure in the last 10 years the procurator fiscal at Paisley has paid for witnesses to be flown to from countries outside the British Isles; how many involved police escorts; what was the cost to the public purse in each case; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many requests for an independent inquiry into the operational efficiency, effectiveness and objective impartiality of the Paisley procurator fiscal's office he has received since 1992 from right hon. and hon. Members; how many similar requests were made of the Lord Advocate by right hon. and hon. Members; if he will list those made by right hon. Members representing constituencies in Renfrewshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland nor my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has received any general request from any Member of Parliament for an independent inquiry into the operational efficiency, effectiveness and objective impartiality of the procurator fiscal's office at Paisley. On the other hand, my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate is aware of three requests for independent inquiries into the handling of particular cases. Two of these requests were made by the hon. Member himself and one was made by my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart). My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate does not accept that there is any need for an independent inquiry into the handling of cases by the procurator fiscal's office at Paisley.

  Scottish Homes
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet the chairman of Scottish Homes to discuss bringing the 56 flats in Waverley court, Foxbar, hack into habitable use; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend meets the board of Scottish Homes from time to time to discuss a range but he would not normally discuss detailed matters of operation such as this. I shall therefore ask the chairman of Scottish Homes to write to the hon. Member.

  Structural Funding
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the contribution of capital costs associated with the redevelopment of 86
  Houstoun square, Johnstone, by (a) European Community sources, (b) central Government sources, (c) Renfrewshire Enterprise, (d) Strathclyde regional council and (e) Renfrew district council.

  Mr. Kynoch
  The western Scotland objective 2 programme management committee recently approved ERDF funding of £246,000 towards £491,000 of eligible expenditure on the project. The application indicated that Renfrewshire Enterprise is to contribute £95,000 and that Renfrew district council is to contribute £150,000 towards the ERDF-eligible costs. We understand that Renfrew district council is to contribute a further £50,000 in respect of costs which are not eligible for ERDF support. We are not aware of any proposed contribution by Strathclyde regional council or of any application for central Government support. Decisions on the level of support for this project by Renfrewshire Enterprise and Renfrew district council are entirely for these bodies to make.

  Flood Prevention Schemes
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to impose a statutory duty, rather than a permissive right, on local authorities to submit flood prevention schemes to him for approval and funding assistance; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 already provides that where a regional or islands council wishes to carry out flood prevention operations, other than maintenance or management, these operations must be carried out in accordance with a scheme made by the council and confirmed by the Secretary of State. These arrangements will apply also to the new unitary local authorities. Fifty per cent. Government grant is payable to the authorities concerned on the eligible capital costs of confirmed schemes.

  Hospitals, Renfrewshire
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of(a) Dykebar hospital, Paisley and (b) Elderslie hospital; when he last discussed their future with representatives of Renfrewshire Healthcare trust; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has not received a request from Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS trust for a meeting and there are no current plans for a meeting to be held at a future date.

  The Argyll and Clyde health board is committed to developing quality care in the community which in time will lead to increased provision and care support outwith hospital settings.

  I understand that the board's draft joint community care plan which covers the period up to 1998 has no specific proposals to close Dykebar hospital.

  The future of Elderslie hospital and the reprovision of services was the subject of a detailed public consultation exercise in 1992. It is the health board's intention to close Elderslie hospital once quality replacement community services have been created. Closure will require the consent of the Secretary of State.

  Raymond Gilmour
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what stage he has reached in his consideration
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  of the application for the prerogative of mercy submitted to him by solicitor Gordon Ritchie on behalf of Raymond Gilmour; what assessment he has made of whether it would be appropriate for him to meet the hon. Member for Paisley South, Mr. Ritchie and others prior to his final decision on the case; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Fresh representations were submitted on behalf of Mr. Raymond Gilmour on 12 December 1994 and 1 February this year. These are currently under consideration and the hon. Member will be informed once our inquiries are complete. Any request for a meeting could be considered at that stage.

  Correspondence
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes the Lord Advocate proposes to make in respect of the matters dealt with in his letter dated 6th July to the hon. Member for Paisley, South.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has no plans to make changes in respect of any of the matters referred to in his letter.

  Red Star Parcel Service
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has made to the Department of Transport and the Treasury over the sale of Red Star parcel service; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend and I concur with the sale of Red Star and have made no representations.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will specify the quantity and nature of the drugs found in the debris near Lockerbie after the destruction of Pan Am 103.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No significant quantities of drugs were recovered in the course of the Lockerbie investigation. Small "users" quantities of cannabis were found.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study the Crown Office has made of the "File on Four" investigation of the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie on the evidence against two accused Libyans.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Crown Office officials have considered this programme, as they have other media productions which have come to their attention. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate considers that the appropriate place to test the results of the Lockerbie investigation is in the criminal courts and not on a radio programme.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library copies of the documents dealing with the only direct alleged eye-witness evidence identifying the alleged Libyan agents in Malta, supposedly involved in the destruction of Pan Am 103.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate cannot disclose details of the evidence in the Lockerbie case while criminal proceedings are pending.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Crown Office will place in the Library the 88
  report given to representative James Tafficant of Ohio of investigators hired by Pan Am insurance underwriters alleging that the CIA had allowed a man with terrorist connections to transport drugs to the United States in exchange for information about United States hostages in Lebanon.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is not in accordance with the policy of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate to arrange for foreign litigation material to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library the letter from the senior legal assistant to the Lord Advocate, Mr. A. Dunn, to Mr. Martin Cadman of the Lockerbie Relatives Association concerning the examination by the Crown Office and the Dumfries and Galloway police of the evidence in "Maltese Double Cross".

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is not the policy of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate to arrange for such correspondence to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library the results of the Crown Office examination of the evidence in "Maltese Double Cross"

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It would be inappropriate to disclose the results of the examination of a film purporting to investigate the Lockerbie bombing while criminal proceedings are pending.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what communication the Crown Office has had with Der Spiegel in relation to Lockerbie, and the information published in Der Spiegel, of March 1995, in the article "Lockerbie: War Es Abu Nudal'?"

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There have been no communications between Crown Office and Der Spiegel in relation to the article "Lockerbie: War Es Abu Nidal?" published in January 1995.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusion the Crown Office adduced from the court award to Air Malta of compensation against Granada Television in relation to its allegations about the role of Malta G.C. in the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Crown Office has drawn no conclusions from settlement of a civil litigation which proceeded upon the basis of allegations which are different in detail from those contained within the charges in the petition warrants for the arrest of the two Libyans accused of this crime.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Scottish police have interviewed Maurice Callejas, Commander of the Maltese armed forces in 1988.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details of investigative steps which have been taken.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what positive identification took place by anyone interviewed by the Scottish police in Malta of Libyan suspects.
  89
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate cannot disclose details of the evidence in the Lockerbie case while criminal proceedings are pending.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what dates Scottish police interviewed Dr. David Fieldhouse, Bradford police surgeon, in connection with his work in the Lockerbie area in December 1988.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Dr. Fieldhouse travelled to Lockerbie on a number of occasions in early 1989. He held discussions there with officers of Dumfries and Galloway police concerning his involvement in the identification and examination of Lockerbie victims. These discussions culminated in his submission of a detailed statement to them on 22 April 1989.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Crown Office endorsed the apology given in his written report by Sheriff John Mowat to Dr. David Fieldhouse for overlooking his information about Lockerbie body DCF 12 Male, Hillside NE of Shawhill farm and of the undeserved criticism of his activities.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Sheriff Principal Mowat QC did not apologise for overlooking information about a body but apologised for criticism which had been made of Dr. Fieldhouse during the fatal accident inquiry relating to the Lockerbie disaster. The Sheriff Principal found in terms that Dr. Fieldhouse had pronounced life extinct in 58 bodies. That accorded with the evidence of the police at the fatal accident inquiry.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the letter JAD/91 of 9 January from Mr. J. A. Dunn, senior legal assistant at the Crown Office, to Mr. Martin Cadman, father of a victim of Pan Am 103, what new material arising from examination of the film "Maltese Double Cross" has been investigated and subjected to detailed scrutiny.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It would be inappropriate to disclose the results of the examination of a film purporting to investigate the Lockerbie bombing while criminal proceedings are pending.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Crown Office has sought to interview Mr. James Shaughnessy, lawyer for Pan Am, with regard to United States-United Kingdom surveillance of the Iranian embassy in Beirut in the second half of 1988.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details of investigative steps which have been taken.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if(a) the Crown Office and (b) the Scottish police have sought to interview Mr. Ali Nuri Zadeh about his reports in the Al Dustur newspaper involving Matthew Gannon and Charles McKee, both of whom perished at Lockerbie.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details of investigative steps which have been taken.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration the Crown Office has given to the 90
  advancing age of those witnesses whom the prosecution proposes to lead in court in relation to the Lockerbie case.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Crown Office has noted the passing of time.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what grounds the Crown Office has for supposing that a criminal trial in relation to Lockerbie can still be anticipated as indicated in the Lord Advocate's letter, CAD/E/MP/286/93.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A trial will take place as and when the Libyans make the two accused available for trial in Scotland or the United States as required by the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the journalist, Alasdair Palmer, is employed in any capacity by Her Majesty's Government.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Alasdair Palmer is not employed in any capacity by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what knowledge he has of body DCF 12 Male, Hillside, NE of Shawhill farm found at Lockerbie by Dr. David Fieldhouse.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  At the fatal accident inquiry relating to the Lockerbie disaster, Dr. Fieldhouse gave evidence that there was no record of the body which he had labelled as DCF 12 being found by the police. Dr. Fieldhouse went on to state that the assumption was that there had been human error in recording the location of that body although he considered it to be unlikely that the error could have arisen from his involvement at that particular location. Dr. Fieldhouse went on to state that the suggested locations given by him for bodies did riot match up in all cases with the police information. Having considered all the evidence, the Sheriff Principal, in his determination, concluded that Dr. Fieldhouse pronounced life extinct in 58 bodies. That accorded with the evidence of the police at the fatal accident inquiry.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library the 18 separate statements that Tony Gavci, clothing shopkeeper of Malta, gave to Scottish police.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate cannot disclose details of evidence while criminal proceedings are pending.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Scottish police have a sworn statement from Her Majesty's Customs Officer Philip Connolly.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details of investigative steps which have been taken.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether a British Customs officer stationed in Cyprus in 1988 has been questioned by the Scottish police about controlled drug deliveries.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details of investigative steps which have been taken.
  91
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the evidence presented to the Crown Office following the presentation of the petition charging named Libyan individuals to the sheriff of Dumfries was regarded by them at the time as being sufficient for them to conclude their investigations; and on what date they deemed their investigations to be concluded.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The evidence presented to the prosecuting authorities by the police was sufficient to enable the procurator fiscal to request petition warrants for the arrest of the two named accused from the sheriff at Dumfries. As has always been made clear, the investigation remains open.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what directions or instructions to investigate recent allegations of Iranian and Syrian involvement in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103, the Crown Office has given the Dumfries and Galloway police in relation to the directions and instructions of the procurator fiscal.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear, in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details of investigative steps which have been taken.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Dumfries and Galloway police have interviewed(a) officials of the United States embassy who were in Nicosia in 1988 to determine what they knew of events leading up to the Lockerbie disaster and (b) the 1988 CIA station chief in Nicosia and the Drugs Enforcement Agency country attache.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear, in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details of investigative steps which have been taken.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration the Crown Office has given to its legal duty in law to consider and investigate any evidence which tends to exculpate the two libyans accused of the Lockerbie crime; and if the Crown Office is complying with this legal obligation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Crown Office considers all relevant evidence and carries out such investigations as are appropriate and will continue to do so in the exercise of its duties.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what inquiries the Crown Office have made of Mr. Larry Robinson, of the United States embassy in London, on the issue of persons, in addition to two Libyans, being involved in the Lockerbie crime.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear, in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details of investigative steps which have been taken.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much in(a) US dollars (b) pounds sterling and (c) other currencies was collected from the scene of the Lockerbie disaster in December 1988, other than the normal personal money of passengers and crew members of the aircraft; and if he will make a statement.
  92
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No amounts of money, other than what might ordinarily be regarded as personal money, were found at the Lockerbie crash site. A cashed cheque and substantial quantities of encashed travellers cheques were recovered.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions the Crown Office has drawn from evidence presented in the court at Karlsruhe in relation to the Lockerbie bombing on 26 April 1989 as to the source of the radios; and what state of preparation they were in when bought.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate cannot disclose details of evidence while criminal proceedings are pending.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Durnfries and Galloway police were present throughout the interview with Mr. Ghadanfar in Frankfurt on 26 October 1988.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Dumfries and Galloway constabulary had no interest in Mr. Ghadanfar in October 1988. It will be recalled that the Lockerbie bombing did not take place until 21 December 1988.

  Mr. Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions or directions to investigate allegations of involvement of countries other than Libya, in the destruction of Pan Am 103, the Crown Office has given the Dumfries and Galloway police in relation to the instructions and directions of the procurator fiscal.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has made clear, in relation to the Lockerbie case, as in any other case, it is not appropriate for the investigating or prosecuting authorities to give details investigative steps which have been taken.

  Fatal Accident Inquiries
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths of hospital patients have led to fatal accident inquiries being held in(a) Renfrewshire, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland in each of the past 10 years; of these, how many were concerned with an inquiry into the death of a patient during or following surgical care; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Procurators Fiscal
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance, assistance or training is given to procurators fiscal to enable them to examine the question both death certificates and medical notes concerning hospital patients who have died either during surgical care or following such treatment; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A significant proportion of procurators fiscal will have studied forensic medicine at university. On joining the procurator fiscal service, they will receive training in relation to the procurator fiscal's role in the investigation of sudden, suspicious or unexplained deaths. In 1992–93 the Crown Office reached agreement with the departments of forensic medicine of the universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen for the departments to
  93
  take an active part in the initial and in-service training of procurators fiscal through courses organised both locally and nationally. In addition, the four departments of forensic medicine are under contract to provide procurators fiscal with an advisory consultative service on medical matters. The Departments will also assist procurators fiscal in the interpretation of medical records including the records of persons who have died in hospital or following treatment in hospital.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if a procurator fiscal can issue a requirement to examine medical notes concerning a patient who has died(a) during surgery care or (b) following surgical care; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A procurator fiscal may apply to the sheriff court for a warrant to recover hospital records. In practice such records are made available on request.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if death certificates are sent by medical practitioners, to procurators fiscal, as(a) a matter of course or (b) as a legal requirement, following the deaths of hospital patients (i) during surgical care or (ii) following surgical care; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is the duty of the procurator fiscal to inquire into all sudden, suspicious, accidental, unexpected and unexplained deaths, including certain deaths associated with the provision of medical care. Instructions have been given to hospitals, nursing homes and general practitioners, that where a patient has died in certain circumstances, the procurator fiscal must be informed without delay. The responsibility for notification lies with the doctor concerned with the care of the patient or the doctor called in at the time of death. There is no requirement on medical practitioners to send a death certificate to the procurator fiscal. However, arrangements have been made between the Registrar General for Scotland and the Crown Office whereby district registrars will report to the procurator fiscal deaths falling into the categories of deaths into which procurators fiscal must inquire. The registrar will bring such deaths to the attention of the procurator fiscal by sending him an intimation of the particulars relating to the deceased. The intimation will include details of the cause of death as disclosed by the medical certificate.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South, (Mr. Robertson) of 15 February,Official Report, column 697, on provision for children's evidence, if the closed circuit television equipment currently being installed in the Sheriff court, Greenock, is to be a permanent fixture in relation to the taking of evidence from vulnerable witnesses; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since 30 September 1991, equipment has been available in the sheriffdoms of Glasgow and Strathkelvin and Lothian and borders to enable child witnesses only, in appropriate cases, to give evidence in criminal trials by way of live television link. The equipment being installed at Greenock sheriff court will be available for cases transferred from other courts in the sheriffdom of north Strathclyde. Provision in that sheriffdom to enable child witnesses to give evidence in criminal trials by closed circuit television will be reviewed no later than 1997, at which time it is expected 94
  that major building works at Paisley sheriff court will have been completed.

  Secular Buildings
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money Historic Scotland is providing for the renovation and conservation of listed secular buildings in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in the current financial year.

  Sir Hector Monro
  The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by Historic Scotland. I have asked its director and chief executive, Mr. Graeme Munro, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Graeme N. Munro to Dr. Godman, dated 6 March 1995:
  You have tabled a Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Scotland for Written Answer on 6 March.The question relates to operational matters undertaken by Historic Scotland and I have been asked to provide the information you are seeking. The terms of this letter will be reproduced in the Official Report and a copy of it will also he deposited in the Library of the House.You have asked how much money Historic Scotland is providing for the renovation and conservation of listed secular buildings in (a) Inverclyde (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in the current financial year.The total commitment in the current financial year (that is, payments already made and payments in the pipeline which will he effected prior to 31 March 1995) on historic buildings repair grants for secular buildings in the current financial year is as follows:

  (a) Inverclyde: £103,490

  (b) Strathclyde: £5,028,850

  (c) Scotland: £9,576,000

  I hope this information is helpful.

  Taxis (Wheelchair Access)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to ensure that newly licensed taxis and private hire vehicles are wheelchair accessible; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kynoch
  The Government's response on 22 February to the recommendations contained in the report of the Transport Select Committee—Cm 2715—expressed support for the phasing in of the requirement that taxis should be accessible to wheelchair users. Legislation in Scotland relating to taxis and private hire cars is contained in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. We are now considering in the context of Scottish legislation and circumstances how best to proceed in this matter.

  Rail Services
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he has given to the rail regulator on the need for formal consultation, prior to the withdrawal of any Anglo-Scottish rail services.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: None. The duties of the rail regulator, including the duty to protect rail users' interests, are defined in statute.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the speech of the hon. Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro) in the Scottish Grand Committee, concerning
  95
  consultation on proposed withdrawal of rail services, represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: Yes.

  Mr. John Robertson
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the public positions to which he has appointed Mr. John Robertson of the S. and J. D. Robertson Group, stating in each case the salary and expenses, the required weekly commitment of working days and Mr. Robertson's particular qualifications for the appointment.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: I have appointed Mr. Robertson to the following positions:

  Organisation

  Position

  Salary

  Weekly time commitment

  Highland Health Board

  Chairman

  £14,835 pa

  2-3 days

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise

  Member

  £ 7,410 pa

  0.5 days

  In addition to salary, Mr. Robertson is re-imbursed any expenses incurred in connection with these appointments at the rate appropriate to the body concerned. Mr. Robertson's appointment as chairman of Highland health board extends until 31 March 1999 and his appointment as a member of Highlands and Islands Enterprise until 30 September 1995. Mr. Robertson has said that he does not wish to be considered for re-appointment to Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

  Since 27 August 1990 Mr. Robertson has been a lay member of the national health service tribunal. This position carries no remuneration but allowances are payable to cover loss of remunerative time and travelling
  96
  expenses incurred in connection with the work of the tribunal. However, the tribunal has not met since Mr. Robertson's appointment.

  On 6 February I announced Mr. Robertson's appointment as a chairman of the North of Scotland Water Authority. He will take up these duties later this year and they will entail an average time commitment of two and a half days per week for which he will received £40,000 per annum plus expenses. The appointment will be for four years. When he agreed to accept this appointment, Mr. Robertson told my officials that, on taking up the post, he wished to forgo the payments for his public service with the health board and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. This is in line with the action he took for several years with Orkney health board.

  Mr. Robertson has a range of skills and experience built up through many years of public service and through running a property and oil distribution business. His links in the highlands and islands have made him particularly suitable for the appointments he has held and should also prove invaluable in connection with his forthcoming role as chairman of the North of Scotland Water Authority.

  North of Scotland Electricity Users Consultative Committee
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the appointment of a chairman for the north of Scotland electricity users consultative committee; and what criteria he will apply in making his decision.

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 3 March 1995]: Responsibility for the appointment of chairmen of the electricity consumers' committees lies with the Director General of Electricity Supply after consultation with the Secretary of State. It is understood that the director general intends to appoint a new chairman of the north of Scotland consumers' committee in late March.

  Criminal Legal Aid: Control
  Criminal Legal Aid: Control
  World Summit for Social Development
  World Summit for Social Development
  Foreign Lorries: Emission Offences
  Foreign Lorries: Emission Offences
  The "Derbyshire"
  The "Derbyshire"
  British Rail: Chairman
  British Rail: Chairman
  Teletext Service
  Teletext Service
  Northern Ireland: Integrated College Proposal
  Northern Ireland: Integrated College Proposal
  Northern Ireland: Cost of Terrorist Activities
  Northern Ireland: Cost of Terrorist Activities
  Gulf War Costs: Contributions to UK Expenditure
  Gulf War Costs: Contributions to UK Expenditure
  Former UK Officers and Officials: Employment in Defence Field
  Former UK Officers and Officials: Employment in Defence Field
  Public Expenditure: Authorisation by Parliament
  Public Expenditure: Authorisation by Parliament
  Landfills: Guidance Paper
  Landfills: Guidance Paper
  Development Rights and Environmental Assessment
  Development Rights and Environmental Assessment