Written Answers of 31 March 1995

HEALTH

  Nursing Staff
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of nursing staff were at any one time(a) on fixed-term contracts and (b) bank or agency staff (i) in the current year and (ii) in each of the last 10 years, in each regional health authority. [15368]

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on the percentage of bank and agency nursing and midwifery staff will be placed in the Library. Figures for 1994 onwards are not yet available.

  Data on the percentage of nursing and midwifery staff on fixed-term contracts are not available centrally since this is a matter for local determination.

  Speech Therapists
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists per 1,000 population are provided for children in(a) Southwark, (b) Birmingham, (c) Manchester, (d) Kingston, (e) Lewisham and (f) England. [15325]

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Dental Treatments
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all the dental treatments currently available under the national health service, together with the amount paid by the Government to general dental practices for each treatment, for the five most recent years for which figures are available. [15402]

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

  Prescription Fraud
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action her Department is taking to reduce the level of prescription fraud. [16887]

  Mr. Malone
  From 1 April 1995 patients who obtain dispensed items from community pharmacists or dispensing doctors will be asked to complete a written declaration stating the specific grounds for claiming exemption or remission of the prescription charge due, or the amount of the charge paid. The revised declarations will improve the effectiveness of confirmatory checks and are a significant first step towards reducing prescription fraud.

  I am considering what further measures are necessary.

  Birth Certificates
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the purpose of asking applicants for full and short 814
  birth certificates if they are the subject of the certificate or a relative of the subject. [17159]

  Mr. Sackville
  In their White Paper "Registration: proposals for change", Cm 939, the Government proposed new arrangements for the purchase of certificates of recent events and a different approach to the prevention of intrusions into privacy, personation and fraud. Statutory powers would be introduced to require applicants for certificates to identify themselves and complete a more comprehensive application form. They would also be required to state their relationship to the subject of the required certificate and the purpose for which the certificate was to be used. The application forms now in use by the Registrar General ask for this additional information, but applicants cannot, at present, be obliged to provide the answers.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how long application forms for full and short version birth certificates are kept after the certificates have been issued. [17161]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Registrar General currently retains application forms relating to the issue of birth certificates for a minimum of five years.

  Thyroid Cancer
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each of the last 10 years the number of cases of thyroid cancer that have been reported in(a) North Western, (b) Mersey, (c) Northern, (d) Yorkshire, (e) Trent and (f) West Midlands regional health authorities; and what the national average was for each of the years. [17137]

  Mr. Sackville
  The information is published in tables 2 and 7 of "Cancer statistics, registrations, series MB1, Nos. 11–22", HMSO, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Asbestos-related Diseases
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to improve the quality of diagnosis and certification of deaths involving asbestos-related diseases. [17078]

  Mr. Sackville
  Diagnosis is a professional issue and we would look primarily to the health care professions to provide guidance on it.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are her current assumptions about the levels of asbestos-related deaths in the United Kingdom. [17080]

  Mr. Sackville
  The recorded numbers of deaths from asbestos-related diseases continue to grow. Such diseases are nearly always the result of occupational exposure to asbestos fibres, and are prescribed as industrial diseases. Asbestos-related diseases generally take a long time to develop. The deaths now occurring, and most of those expected to occur in the future, reflect past industrial exposure before the introduction of the controls whose enforcement is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

  Royal Liverpool University Hospital
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure that the Royal Liverpool
  815
  University hospital obtains a fire certificate from the Merseyside fire brigade. [17221]

  Mr. Sackville
  Royal Liverpool University hospital is currently undertaking work agreed with the Merseyside fire brigade, due for completion by August 1995.

  Helicopter Emergency Medical Service
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were conveyed by the London helicopter ambulance service for each year since 1991. [17239]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. William Wells, chairman of South Thames regional health authority, which is managerially responsible for the London helicopter emergency medical service.

  Region

  Estimated average time (in months) waited by patients still on waiting lists for inpatient and day case admission as at:

  March 1990

  March 1991

  March 1992

  March 1993

  March 1994

  Northern

  7.0

  5.9

  4.7

  4.1

  4.2

  Yorkshire

  7.2

  7.1

  5.2

  4.5

  5.1

  Trent

  7.4

  6.3

  5.5

  4.7

  4.4

  East Anglian

  9.0

  8.4

  5.4

  4.7

  4.5

  North West Thames

  9.4

  9.2

  6.4

  5.3

  5.3

  North East Thames

  10.9

  8.7

  5.7

  5.0

  5.6

  South East Thames

  10.1

  8.8

  5.7

  5.0

  5.1

  South West Thames

  10.2

  7.2

  4.1

  4.1

  4.4

  Wessex

  8.2

  7.5

  4.8

  4.7

  4.2

  Oxford

  8.9

  8.0

  5.7

  4.4

  4.2

  S. Western

  8.5

  8.1

  4.5

  3.8

  3.6

  W. Midlands

  8.7

  7.7

  4.7

  4.2

  4.5

  Mersey

  4.9

  4.5

  3.7

  3.7

  3.8

  North Western

  8.6

  7.2

  4.8

  4.5

  4.5

  Source:

  Derived from quarterly Körner elective admission list returns.

  NHS Purchasing
  Mr. Trend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will respond to the first report of the Health Committee of Session 1994–95 on "Priority Setting in the NHS: Purchasing;" and if she will make a statement. [18207]

  Mrs. Bottomley
  I have today published the Government's response to the Select Committee report, Cm 2826. A copy has been placed in the Library.

  The Government welcome the Committee's report on priority setting in the national health service. It sets out a thoughtful and wide-ranging investigation of the issues, from the Government setting national priorities to the choices faced by individual clinicians every day. The Government welcome the Select Committee's support for many of the policies that they are pursuing in this area.

EDUCATION

  Internet
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the Internet electronic mail address of(a) her Department and (b) each Minister in her Department;

  Herbal Medicines
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many herbal medicine products are currently being sold in Britain without a licence. [17130]

  Mr. Sackville
  All medicinal products on the market in the United Kingdom are subject to the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc.) Regulations 1994 unless otherwise exempt. The Medicines Control Agency will investigate any case which appears to breach this.

  Waiting Times
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average waiting time for admission by region in each of the last five years. [13396]

  Mr. Malone
  [holding answer 17 March 1995]: This information is shown in the table:

  and if she will make a statement on her Department's approach to the information super-highway. [17742]

  Mr. Forth
  The Department has a mailbox on the Internet—info@dfe.gov.uk—for general inquiries to the Department's public inquiry unit. This provides a service to those who have access to the Internet and prefer to use electronic mail as a method of communication.

  The Government's consultation paper on broadband communications in education will be published after Easter.

  Leicestershire Local Education Authority
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent on education by the county council in Leicestershire in each of the last five years; and how much is planned for this financial year. [17155]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Total expenditure by Leicestershire local education authority from 1989–90 to 1993–94, the latest year for which provisional outturn figures are available, is shown. These figures have not been adjusted for any changes of function. The figure for 1994–95 is drawn from Leicestershire LEA's revenue account return, and is not directly comparable with the outturn figures which have a different coverage.
  817

  Leicestershire LEA—total expenditure (in actual terms)

  Year

  £ million

  Outturn

  1989–90

  337.5

  1990–91

  372.8

  1991–92

  409.0

  1992–93

  440.8

  1993–94 (provisional)

  400.6

  Planned

  1994–95

  326.8

  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the number of teachers employed in state schools in Leicestershire in each of the last five years. [17154]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The table shows the full-time equivalent number of teachers employed in maintained nursery, primary and secondary sector in Leicestershire for January 1990 to January 1994.

  Teachers—FTE—in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary sector in Leicestershire

  January

  FTE

  1990

  7,886

  1991

  7,764

  1992

  7,830

  1993

  7,570

  19941

  7,832

  1 Excludes sixth form colleges.

  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the amount of the salary bill for teachers in Leicestershire for each of the last five years; and how much is planned for this year. [17158]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Expenditure by Leicestershire local education authority on salaries for teachers at its maintained schools from 1989–90 to 1993–94, the latest year for which provisional outturn figures are available, is shown. Information on planned expenditure on teachers' salaries is not collected centrally.

  Leicestershire LEA—expenditure on teaching staff (in actual terms)

  Year

  £million

  Outturn

  1989–90

  172.9

  1990–91

  185.0

  1991–92

  204.2

  1992–93

  224.9

  1993–94 (provisional)

  194.9

  Publications
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the cost of the production and distribution of (i) the updated parents charter, 1994; (ii) the special educational needs information, 1994; (iii) the school governors' guides to the law, 1994; (iv) the private finance initiative, 1994; (v) the national school tests, 1993, 1994 and 1995, information leaflet; and (vi) the grant-maintained schools information, 1993 to 1995. [17107]
  818
  Mr. Forth
  The costs in the financial years 1993–94 and 1994–95 of production and distribution were as follows:

  £000

  Parents Charter (1994)

  3,073

  Special Educational Needs Information (1994)

  1,137

  School Governors' Guides to the Law (1994)

  300

  Private Finance Initiative

  119

  National School Test (1993, 1994 and 1995)

  1673

  1 Estimated.

  The estimated cost of the campaign on grant-maintained schools information in 1993–94 and 1994–95 is some £1.922 million. This includes the cost of press advertising, a video and a series of regional conferences.

  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the budget for the "Schools Update", 1993 to 1995, publication.

  Mr. Forth
  "Schools Update" is the Department's termly newsletter for school teachers and governors. Over the last two years, costs of producing and distributing copies are as follows:

  Financial year

  £

  1993–94

  169,000

  1994–95

  1219,000

  1 Estimated.

  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many responses she has had to the information booklet on the private finance initiative, 1994. [17108]

  Mr. Forth
  The booklet "Education Means Business" was published as part of a wider strategy to promote the private finance initiative in education. Although it is difficult to separate the impact of the publication from other aspects of the initiative, about 2,000 inquiries have been received within the Department specifically referring to the booklet.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 17 March,Official Report, columns 732–34, what estimate she has made of the individual or combined cost of the campaigns and publications (a) DFE summer roadshow, (b) European choice booklet, (c) grant-maintained schools information and (d) the updated parents charter. [17297]

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 30 March 1995]: In the financial years 1993–94 and 1994–95, the combined cost of these campaigns and publications is estimated at £5.616 million.

  Devon Local Education Authority
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the average figure for administration per school in Devon retained by the local education authority. [17282]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  For the financial year 1994–95, the Devon local education authority's planned expenditure on "management and administration" amounted to £10,163 per school. This figure relates to all county, voluntary and special schools maintained by the authority and is derived
  819
  from the budget statement published by the authority under section 42 of the Education Reform Act 1988.

  St. Philip's College
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was her response to the open letter to her from the staff of St. Philip's Roman Catholic sixth form college dated 22 March. [17160]

  Mr. Boswell
  My right hon. Friend is considering her response to the letter and will reply shortly.

  Free School Meals
  Ms Estelle Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will give the percentage of children in the secondary sector who are entitled to free school meals in(a) selective schools, (b) voluntary-aided schools and (c) grant-maintained schools, listed by local education authority; and what is the average in each local education authority for children in the secondary sector.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Information—derived from schools' annual returns—about pupils known to be eligible for school meals is provided in the following table.

  Percentage of day pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in secondary schools in each local education authority in England

  January 1994

  Selective schools1 2 3

  Voluntary-aided schools2

  Grant-maintained schools3

  All secondary schools

  Corporation of London

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Camden

  —

  8.5

  3.2

  26.9

  Greenwich

  —

  4.8

  0.0

  36.4

  Hackney

  —

  19.1

  0.0

  59.2

  Hammersmith

  —

  13.2

  2.3

  36.3

  Islington

  —

  11.9

  —

  51.7

  Kensington and Chelsea

  —

  6.2

  2.8

  40.6

  Lambeth

  —

  —

  21.7

  51.4

  Lewisham

  —

  6.8

  —

  40.4

  Southwark

  —

  8.0

  11.7

  55.9

  Tower Hamlets

  —

  11.0

  1.8

  64.0

  Wandsworth

  —

  —

  23.8

  34.5

  Westminster

  —

  14.0

  —

  44.1

  Barking

  —

  2.1

  —

  18.5

  Barnet

  0.1

  0.7

  5.6

  14.7

  Bexley

  0.8

  —

  1.8

  10.9

  Brent

  —

  —

  17.9

  27.4

  Bromley

  0.1

  —

  5.9

  13.0

  Croydon

  —

  2.0

  3.4

  18.7

  Ealing

  —

  3.8

  13.2

  29.8

  Enfield

  0.1

  1.2

  4.9

  18.5

  Haringey

  —

  7.2

  —

  40.2

  Harrow

  —

  0.8

  0.7

  13.8

  Havering

  —

  0.5

  1.6

  10.4

  Hillingdon

  —

  0.2

  11.0

  13.0

  Hounslow

  —

  0.8

  1.8

  20.7

  Kingston upon Thames

  0.5

  —

  3.3

  9.4

  Merton

  —

  3.1

  —

  18.6

  Newham

  —

  3.5

  1.9

  39.4

  Redbridge

  0.3

  0.7

  1.3

  16.8

  820

  Percentage of day pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in secondary schools in each local education authority in England

  January 1994

  Selective schools1 2 3

  Voluntary-aided schools2

  Grant-maintained schools3

  All secondary schools

  Richmond upon Thames

  —

  3.5

  —

  16.3

  Sutton

  0.5

  —

  2.2

  8.7

  Waltham Forest

  —

  1.9

  2.2

  34.1

  Birmingham

  0.5

  2.7

  4.4

  31.6

  Coventry

  —

  4.1

  —

  23.8

  Dudley

  —

  2.0

  4.0

  16.7

  Sandwell

  —

  0.5

  1.3

  25.3

  Solihull

  —1

  2.8

  —

  12.0

  Walsall

  0.2

  2.3

  3.5

  25.1

  Wolverhampton

  0.1

  2.4

  3.7

  25.3

  Knowsley

  —

  16.0

  4.4

  51.8

  Liverpool

  —

  15.4

  2.1

  39.2

  St. Helens

  —

  3.0

  —

  17.4

  Sefton

  —

  6.0

  —

  20.7

  Wirral

  0.8

  4.8

  0.4

  25.8

  Bolton

  —

  1.9

  1.5

  16.4

  Bury

  —

  2.2

  —

  13.5

  Manchester

  —

  11.9

  —

  43.4

  Oldham

  —

  32.8

  —

  53.5

  Rochdale

  —

  4.9

  1.4

  28.9

  Salford

  —

  4.5

  0.6

  26.3

  Stockport

  —

  1.0

  —

  14.4

  Tameside

  —

  1.9

  2.0

  19.8

  Trafford

  2.3

  1.3

  5.9

  20.0

  Wigan

  —

  3.7

  —

  17.5

  Barnsley

  —

  —

  —

  22.8

  Doncaster

  —

  1.2

  —

  22.5

  Rotherham

  —

  0.7

  —

  18.5

  Sheffield

  —

  —

  1.2

  24.2

  Bradford

  —

  1.7

  2.4

  31.2

  Calderdale

  0.8

  0.9

  3.2

  18.1

  Kirklees

  0.1

  0.5

  0.3

  17.6

  Leeds

  —

  2.2

  0.2

  18.7

  Wakefield

  —

  0.7

  —

  17.3

  Gateshead

  —

  4.6

  —

  24.9

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  —

  3.7

  —

  27.4

  North Tyneside

  —

  1.0

  —

  18.2

  South Tyneside

  —

  3.9

  —

  25.8

  Sunderland

  —

  2.5

  —

  25.8

  Isles of Scilly

  —

  —

  —

  35.8

  Avon

  —

  0.6

  0.3

  15.5

  Bedfordshire

  —

  1.3

  2.5

  16.6

  Berkshire

  0.4

  0.4

  1.3

  8.5

  Buckinghamshire

  0.5

  0.3

  2.1

  8.6

  Cambridgeshire

  —1

  0.2

  4.8

  13.1

  Cheshire

  —

  1.9

  0.5

  12.0

  Cleveland

  —

  4.4

  —

  28.0

  Cornwall

  —

  —

  —

  15.9

  Cumbria

  —

  0.9

  2.2

  12.1

  Derbyshire

  —

  0.6

  2.8

  13.5

  Devon

  0.5

  0.5

  0.8

  12.9

  Dorset

  0.9

  0.5

  2.1

  10.2

  Durham

  —

  1.7

  —

  17.4

  East Sussex

  —

  1.6

  —

  18.1

  Essex

  0.2

  0.5

  7.0

  12.3

  Gloucestershire

  0.6

  0.4

  5.8

  11.0

  Hampshire

  —

  0.4

  1.7

  10.6

  Hereford and Worcester

  —

  0.3

  0.5

  9.6

  Hertfordshire

  —

  0.5

  2.1

  9.6

  821

  Percentage of day pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in secondary schools in each local education authority in England

  January 1994

  Selective schools1 2 3

  Voluntary-aided schools2

  Grant-maintained schools3

  All secondary schools

  Humberside

  —

  0.9

  —

  17.3

  Isle of Wight

  —

  1.2

  —

  21.0

  Kent

  1.1

  0.7

  5.5

  13.2

  Lancashire

  0.1

  2.2

  0.6

  19.7

  Leicestershire

  —

  0.5

  0.7

  12.5

  Lincolnshire

  1.1

  0.1

  4.3

  9.8

  Norfolk

  —

  0.3

  2.6

  10.7

  North Yorkshire

  0.2

  0.7

  —

  7.4

  Northamptonshire

  —

  1.2

  3.1

  12.5

  Northumberland

  —

  0.5

  0.2

  12.7

  Nottinghamshire

  —

  1.7

  0.7

  20.0

  Oxfordshire

  —

  0.7

  —

  9.8

  Shropshire

  0.0

  0.4

  2.1

  13.6

  Somerset

  0.0

  0.3

  0.0

  10.7

  Staffordshire

  —

  0.7

  0.9

  13.3

  Suffolk

  —

  0.4

  —

  11.7

  Surrey

  —

  0.6

  1.5

  7.2

  Warwickshire

  0.2

  0.6

  1.8

  8.7

  West Sussex

  —

  1.1

  —

  9.2

  Wiltshire

  0.1

  0.1

  2.5

  9.8

  England

  0.1

  1.9

  2.1

  17.7

  1 Schools which admit pupils wholly or mainly with reference to ability or aptitude.

  2 Some voluntary schools are selective.

  3 Some grant-maintained schools are selective.

  —There are no schools of this type in the LEA.

EMPLOYMENT

  Union Carbide Corporation
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will now publish the safety report regarding the Union Carbide Corporation plant at Wilton, Teesside, submitted by ICI to the Health and Safety Executive in June 1989 and updated in June 1992.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The Health and Safety Executive is currently discussing with the companies whether they would consent to the release of all or part of the report and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Trade Unions
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what representations he has received in favour of the trade union activity as a stabilising and helpful force in the workplace; [15657]

  (2) what is his policy towards the retaining of union representatives experienced in understanding the employers' and employees' positions in a workplace; [15659]

  (3) what assessment he has made as to the benefits for employers and employees of the maintenance of union facilities at workplaces; [15658]

  (4) what action he takes to discourage employers from phasing out fair and legitimate union activity. [15660]
  822
  Mr. Oppenheim
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet trade union delegations periodically and listen to their views on their role. The Government believe that unions can make a useful contribution on issues close to the workplace, but to do so they must be accountable, well informed and able to speak with knowledge and authority. However, the Government also believe employers and employees should be free to conduct their own affairs with the minimum of interference. Individual workers must be free to decide whether to be members of trade unions and the law protects them from dismissal or acts of victimisation on grounds of trade union membership or activities. Employers must be free to decide whether or not to recognise trade unions for bargaining purposes.

  Where an employer chooses to recognise an independent trade union, employees who are members of that union become entitled to reasonable time off during working hours to take part in any trade union activity. Employees who are officials of that union become entitled to reasonable time off with pay to carry out certain trade union duties and undergo training relevant to those duties.

  Statutory References
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what statutory references to hon. Members have been made in legislation introduced by his Department, or its predecessors, since 1965. [17041]

  Miss Widdecombe
  An analysis of all legislation introduced by this Department and its predecessors since 1965 for any reference to the type requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It would be extremely unlikely for reference to be made specifically to an individual hon. Member. Frequent references are made to officers of state and occasional general reference are made to persons who are Members of one or other of the Houses of Parliament.

  Agencies
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of(a) building workers, (b) lorry drivers and (c) secretaries have been (i) directly employed or (ii) employed by agencies in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [17491]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information requested for 1991 to 1994 is provided in the following table. Comparable information prior to this is not available.

  Employment status by occupation in Great Britain: Labour Force Survey at spring of each year

  Percentage

  Building occupations

  Drivers for road goods vehicles

  Secretarial occupations

  (i) Employed directly

  1991

  100

  99

  97

  1992

  100

  99

  99

  1993

  100

  100

  98

  1994

  100

  98

  98

  (ii) Employed via agencies1

  1991

  0

  1

  3

  1992

  0

  1

  1

  1993

  0

  0

  2

  1994

  0

  2

  2

  1 Information based on temporary employees only.

  South London Training and Enterprise Council
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many contracts were issued by SOLOTEC to provide training for people with special needs in the financial year 1994–95; and how many are expected to be issued in 1995–96. [17431]

  Mr. Paice
  SOLOTEC issued 10 contracts providing training for special needs in the financial year 1994–95. Subject to final contracting, it is anticipated that there will be eight special needs contracts issued for 1995–96 for the current four boroughs. Provision for the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham is still under discussion.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if elected local authority representatives are eligible for the expanded board of SOLOTEC. [17432]

  Mr. Paice
  The eligibility conditions for training and enterprise council directors are laid down in the Department's contract with TECs. These require that at least two thirds are top executives from the private sector and that all TEC directors from the public sector must be at chief executive level or its equivalent. Any new directors recruited to SOLOTEC's board must meet these requirements. Status as an elected authority representative does not disqualify someone from being a TEC director so long as the eligibility conditions are met.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training providers are currently under contract to SOLOTEC for the provision of(a) training for youth credits, (b) training for work courses and (c) investors in people on 1 March; how many are expected to be contracted as at 1 April; and what advice he has received about the size of the supplier base for SOLOTEC when it accepts responsibility for training provision in Lewisham and Greenwich post-24 April. [17433]

  Mr. Paice
  SOLOTEC had 20 training providers under contract for youth credits and 24 for training for work as at 1 March 1995. Subject to final contracting, it is anticipated that there will be 20 youth credits providers and 18 training for work contractors from 1 April. SOLOTEC does not contract with providers for investors in people as the training and enterprise council has an in-house team which works directly with employers. Provision for the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham after 24 April 1995 is still under discussion.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many youth training guarantees were made in the financial year 1994–95 to young people in the area covered by SOLOTEC; and how many are expected to be made in 1995–96. [17430]

  Mr. Paice
  Some 2,335 youth training guarantees were made in 1994–95 to young people in the area covered by SOLOTEC. The figure for expected guarantee starts in 1995–96 in the current SOLOTEC area is 2,250.

  South Thames Training and Enterprise Council
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training providers are under contract to the receiver for South Thames TEC for the provision of(a) training for youth credits, (b) training for work courses and (c) investors in people as at 1 March; how many are expected to be contracted as at 1 April; and how many of these contracts he expects to be renewed by SOLOTEC by 1 May. [17434]
  824
  Mr. Paice
  As at 1 March 1995, South Thames training and enterprise council had 41 training providers under contract for youth credits, 45 for training for work and 25 for investors in people. It is not possible to estimate how many of these providers will still be under contract to the TEC at 1 April 1995 or how many of these providers may be offered new contracts by SOLOTEC by 1 May 1995.

  It is for SOLOTEC to determine which providers it wishes to contract with to provide services in the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed by the receiver for South Thames TEC on(a) 1 February, and (b) 1 March; and how many are expected to be employed on 1 April and 1 May. [17435]

  Mr. Paice
  I understand from the receiver that the number of people employed by him at South Thames training and enterprise council was 82 on 1 February and 70 on 1 March 1995. The figure is expected to be 46 on 1 April. I am unable to estimate what the figure will be on 1 May.

  Labour Statistics
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will provide a regional breakdown of the most recent labour force survey to identify separately the numbers of employed and self-employed people in part-time work who could not find full-time work, expressing the data by percentage, gender and age; [16103]

  (2) if he will provide a breakdown by region and gender from the latest labour force survey of (a) the number of employees in temporary jobs because they could not find permanent employment and (b) the total number of employees in temporary jobs. [16105]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 27 March 1995]: This information is available from the labour force survey and can be obtained via the Quantime LFS service available in the Library.

  United States Wages
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information is held by his Department about the minimum wage levels operating in Washington DC and the 50 states of the United States of America. [16927]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 29 March 1995]: The information is given is the following table. The federal minimum wage is currently $4.25 an hour and has been since 1 April 1991. Figures in the table set out the minimum hourly wage rates under state laws.

  USA: minimum and subminimum hourly wage rates under state laws (subminimum wage rates applicable only to learners or apprentices)

  State*

  Minimum wage rate ($)

  Subminimum wage rate ($)

  Alabama

  none

  none

  Alaska

  4.75

  175 per cent.

  Arizona

  none

  none

  Arkansas

  4.5

  none

  California

  4.25

  2, 385 per cent.

  Colorado

  33.00

  none

  Connecticut

  4.27

  485 per cent.

  Delaware

  4.25

  none

  825

  USA: minimum and subminimum hourly wage rates under state laws (subminimum wage rates applicable only to learners or apprentices)

  State*

  Minimum wage rate ($)

  Subminimum wage rate ($)

  District of Columbia*

  5.25

  144.25

  Florida

  none

  none

  Georgia

  3.25

  none

  Hawaii

  6.25

  15—

  Idaho

  4.25

  16—

  Illinois

  4.25

  570 per cent.

  Indiana

  3.35

  none

  Iowa

  4.65

  none

  Kansas

  2.65

  15—

  Kentucky

  4.25

  none

  Louisiana

  none

  none

  Maine

  4.25

  16—

  Maryland

  4.25

  none

  Massachusetts

  4.25

  6—

  Michigan

  3.35

  none

  Minnesota

  74.25

  6—

  Mississippi

  none

  none

  Missouri

  4.25

  185 per cent.

  Montana

  194.25

  none

  Nebraska

  4.25

  175 per cent.

  Nevada

  4.25

  none

  New Hampshire

  4.25

  175 per cent.

  New Jersey

  5.05

  15—

  New Mexico

  4.25

  none

  New York

  4.25

  15—

  North Carolina

  4.25

  190 per cent.

  North Dakota

  4.25

  9—

  Ohio

  204.25

  10—

  Oklahoma

  4.25

  none

  Oregon

  4.75

  none

  Pennsylvania

  4.25

  185 per cent.

  Puerto Rico*

  0.24–8.50

  17—

  Rhode Island

  4.45

  11—

  South Carolina

  none

  none

  South Dakota

  4.25

  none

  Tennessee

  none

  none

  Texas

  3.35

  none

  Utah

  4.25

  none

  Vermont

  4.25

  1285 per cent.

  Virginia

  4.25

  none

  Washington

  184.90

  1, 385 per cent.

  West Virginia

  4.25

  none

  Wisconsin

  4.25

  1375 per cent.

  Wyoming

  1.60

  none

  Notes:

  *District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are not states of the USA.

  1. Where a state is shown as having a lower rate than the federal minimum of $4.25 this would apply only to workers whose work involves no interstate commerce. In practice, such a condition will apply to only a small minority of workers. Most workers in these states will be covered by the federal rate.

  1 Percentage rate of the statutory minimum for learners and/or apprentices.

  2 Percentage rate for first 160 hours of employment.

  3 By state wage board order(s).

  4 Percentage rate, for first 200 hours of employment.

  5 Percentage rate, for up to six months.

  6 Scale of rates for specified occupations.

  7 $4 an hour for employers whose annual gross volume is less than $362,500.

  8 At minors rate, for first 300 hours of employment.

  9 Sub-minimum rate to certain students may be granted.

  10 85 per cent. for apprentices for period of up to 90 days.

  11 At rate determined by director of labour for up to 90 days.

  12 Percentage rate for retail, wholesale and service establishment by wage order, for up to 240 hours or 30 days for learners.

  13 Percentage rate, for student learners aged 14 to 18, under wage order.

  826

  14 For persons with less than 60 calendar days experience in laundry and dry-cleaning occupation.

  15 Sub-minimum rate may be prescribed by rules.

  16 Special licence or certificate may be issued authorising sub-minimum rate.

  17 Specific rates established by wage order for various categories of employees.

  18 $5.15 an hour for employees of certain contractors providing services to medical care recipients.

  19 $4 an hour, for employer whose annual gross volume is $110,000 or less.

  20 $2.80 an hour, for employer whose annual gross volume is less than $150,000.

  Source:

  The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the details of the industrialists and insurance companies consulted by Touche Ross and the Health and Safety Executive in preparing HSC report 92/129. [17332]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 30 March 1995]: No. The basis on which the consultation was carried out did not include publicising the details.

TRANSPORT

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what outline contingency plans or policy options his Department has drawn up to provide for the reduction, by a range of percentages, of carbon dioxide emissions beyond 2000 from the United Kingdom transport sector. [16956]

  Mr. Norris
  The United Kingdom climate change programme document—Cm 2427, published in January 1994—sets out the policy measures for meeting the United Kingdom commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases across the whole economy up to 2000. Chapter 10 looks at some of the policy options beyond 2000. UK policies and measures for beyond 2000 will need to be decided in the context of international agreement on future commitments. The first conference of parties to the framework convention on climate change is currently taking place in Berlin.

  Railways
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will announce British Rail's and Railtrack's external finance contributions for 1994–95; and if he will make a statement. [18277]

  Mr. Watts
  British Rail's external finance contribution for 1994–95 will be £310 million. Railtrack's EFC will be £316 million. The railway industry external finance limit for this year will be £1,560 million, made up as follows:
  827

  £millon

  OPRAF and MRG grants

  2,009

  British Rail EFL

  -310

  Railtrack EFL

  -316

  EPS EFL

  177

  Total EFL

  1,560

  In setting the overall industry EFL and those for the individual businesses, we have taken account of BR's needs for additional resources—£64 million—as a result of working capital movements which have an unfavourable impact on BR. A number of further factors have also been taken into account. These include the final apportionment, between BR and Railtrack, of the costs of the signalling dispute. The EFLs also reflect the latest forecast of the BR—Railtrack trading account; and they include upward adjustment of £87 million to grant paid by the franchising director. This adjustment to grant comprises claims submitted by BR and accepted by the franchising director to the value of £52 million, and a £35 million grant payment to BR carried over from 1993–94. There is also a £2 million downward adjustment to the total of metropolitan railway grants.

  Rail Passengers
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was(a) the number of passengers travelling on sleepers from London to Fort William and Fort William to London and (b) the percentage of capacity for each month over the last three years for which figures are available. [17302]

  Mr. Watts
  The number of passengers travelling on the London-Fort William sleeper between 1991–92 and 1993–94 was:

  1991–92: 13,500

  1992–93: 14,600

  1993–94: 14,600

  The percentage of available capacity used during the 1993–94 winter season was 50 per cent. and during the summer season 60 per cent. Figures are not available for 1991–92 and 1992–93, or on a month-by-month basis.

  Great Western Railways
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the tender document for the Great Western region includes a requirement to run services to and from Paddington to Castle Cary, Westbury and Pewsey, and a commitment that the Reading to Taunton rail link will remain in existence for the foreseeable future. [17529]

  Mr. Watts
  The franchising director's consultation document on Great Western includes a requirement to run services to and from Paddington to Castle Cary, Westbury and Pewsey. All services in both directions stopping at Castle Cary will also be required to stop at Taunton. The consultation period finishes on 31 March, and the franchising director will announce the Great Western passenger services requirement after consideration of the responses.

  Sleeper Trains
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that the West 828
  Highland sleeper trains to Fort William will be kept in service in accordance with section 37 of the Railways Act 1993 until the consultation procedures for line closure which Parliament has laid down for the protection of the travelling public under that section have been carried out. [17496]

  Mr. Watts
  Section 37 of the Railways Act 1993 applies where the person providing all railway passenger services on any line or from any station proposes to discontinue all such services on that line or from that station.

  I understand that the franchising director has not received from British Rail any notice of a proposal under that section relating to the discontinuance of any railway passenger services in Scotland.

  Air Safety (Leases)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to ensure that all aircraft granted approval for(a) wet and (b) dry leasing by United Kingdom operators are maintained to required International Civil Aviation Organisation standards. [16297]

  Mr. Norris
  The leasing of aircraft by EC airlines is governed by EC Council regulation (EC) No. 1407/92. Under article 10 of this regulation, an airline licensed by a member state has to obtain the approval of its own licensing authority in order to operate a foreign registered aircraft. For the purposes of this regulation, the Civil Aviation Authority is required to approve any application by United Kingdom operators to lease foreign aircraft.

  Before granting approval to UK airlines for both dry leases—the lease of an aircraft without crew—and wet leases—the lease of an aircraft with crew—the CAA is required to satisfy itself that the aircraft will be operated to acceptable safety standards equivalent to UK national standards.

  For short-term wet leases, it has been agreed that, provided the foreign aircraft is registered in a state that is a signatory to the Chicago convention, prior approval is not required. This is to meet the operational requirements of UK operators where, due to unforseen circumstances, they might be unable to use their own aircraft at short notice.

  Aircraft Movements
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions in the last year for which figures are available an aeroplane touched down on United Kingdom land having originated its journey(a) in a foreign country and (b) in a country outside the European Union. [16671]

  Mr. Norris
  The Civil Aviation Authority has supplied the following in relation to full reporting airports for 1994:(a) 463,416 and (b) 141,766. These figures do not include business and private light aircraft and military movements, which are not available, or arrivals at smaller airports, for which the statistics do not separately identify flights originating outside the EU.

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the statement contained in the air accidents investigation branch bulletin No. 3/95 concerning the lack of a system in place to allow the joint aviation authorities to respond
  829
  as a body to safety recommendations raised by national investigating authorities; and what actions he is taking in response to this situation. [16901]

  Mr. Norris
  The Civil Aviation Authority will be raising this matter with the joint aviation authorities next month.

  Exhaust Emissions
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the number of roadside checks within the Greater London area on faulty exhaust emissions on motor cars and lorries in each of the last three months. [17233]

  Mr. Norris
  The number of vehicles checked at specific exhaust emissions roadside checks was as follows:

  December

  January

  February

  a: heavy goods vehicles

  46

  27

  22

  b: cars (including light goods vehicles)

  74

  1

  76

  In addition, a visual assessment is made of vehicle emissions at other general roadside enforcement checks. The details for the last three months are:

  December

  January

  February

  a: heavy goods vehicles

  194

  131

  169

  b: cars (including light goods vehicles)

  75

  28

  53

  Driving Licences
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to abolish the charge to motorists over 70 years of age required to renew their driving licences. [17649]

  Mr. Norris
  We have no plans to abolish the £6 fee for renewing driving licences from age 70.

ENVIRONMENT

  Pollution, Doncaster
  Mr. Kevin Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department has available on air quality in south Yorkshire and Doncaster, with particular reference to quantities of black smoke, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. [16706]

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department of the Environment undertakes continuous automatic monitoring of the pollutants nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide at Sheffield. In addition, my Department, in co-operation with local authorities, operates a number of non-automatic national monitoring networks including those measuring the levels of black smoke and nitrogen dioxide. This includes monitoring of nitrogen dioxide in Doncaster, four sites, and Rotherham, four sites; and of black smoke at Doncaster, five sites; Barnsley, four sites; Sheffield, two sites; Grimethorpe, two sites; Brampton; Cudworth; Dinnington; Goldthorpe; Hoyland Nether; Maltby; Wath-upon-Dearne; Wombwell; and Worsbrough bridge.
  830
  A detailed summary of data covering the aforementioned pollutants at sites in south Yorkshire and Doncaster has been placed in the Library of the House.

  High Sheriffs
  Sir Gerard Vaughan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if high sheriffs will continue in counties proposed to be replaced by unitary authorities; what provision will be made in these counties for back-up staff for the lord lieutenant or the high sheriff; and if Berkshire will retain its title as a royal county. [16869]

  Mr. Curry
  In Berkshire, although the county council will be abolished, the county area will remain. Along with its lord lieutenant, it will retain its high sheriff and its title as a royal county. As regards other areas, we have yet to take decisions on Cleveland. High sheriffs will be appointed for the new counties of Bristol and the east riding of Yorkshire, and the remaining parts of Avon and Humberside will be associated variously with neighbouring counties for ceremonial purposes. We expect that local authorities will want to continue to provide support to their lord lieutenant and high sheriffs.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total level of(a) usable and (b) set-aside capital receipts for each local authority in England; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of set-aside receipts which remain available. [17042]

  Mr. Curry
  A list of the amounts of the total usable capital receipts held by each authority in England was placed in the Library of the House in response to the question of Thursday 9 February 1995 from the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson),Official Report, column 343.

  A list has also been placed in the Library of the amounts set aside by each authority as provision for credit liabilities and not yet applied. These include amounts set aside both from capital receipts and revenue. Separate figures are not available.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates he makes of the amount by which carbon dioxide emissions in 2000 will exceed those in 1990, in the case of(a) the USA, (b) Canada and (c) Australia. [16951]

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friend has made no separate estimate of the carbon emissions of other countries in 2000. Estimates by each country are included in their national programmes submitted under the UN framework convention on climate change.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government will be supporting the alliance of small island states' proposed target for the carbon dioxide emissions of industrial countries, of a reduction of 20 per cent. of the 1990 level in 2005. [16953]

  Mr. Atkins
  No. My right hon. Friend has called for developed countries to commit themselves to a challenging but achievable objective of reducing total greenhouse gas emissions to between 5 and 10 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 within the framework of the convention.
  831
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates his Department has arrived at, assuming current trends for global carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions continue, of the likely date of the disappearance of the islands of(a) Trinidad and (b) Tobago. [16954]

  Mr. Atkins
  We have made no such estimates.

  Climate Change Convention
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether United Kingdom Government representatives at the first conference of the parties for the climate change convention will support the proposal for an interim report on the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change work on the cost-benefit analysis of global warming to be presented to and discussed at the meeting. [16957]

  Mr. Atkins
  There is no such proposal on the agenda for the first conference of the parties. The IPCC's second assessment report is not expected to be published until early 1996.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make arrangements to discuss with the high commissioner for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago the United Kingdom Government's stance at the first conference of the parties for the climate change convention. [16955]

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friend expects to hold discussions with the representatives of many countries during the conference.

  Allerton Outreach Team
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what future funding has been agreed to support the Allerton outreach team; and if he will make a statement. [17255]

  Mr. Curry
  The Allerton estate is the subject of a comprehensive programme of housing and environmental improvements costing £31.9 million. It is being supported by £20.75 million estate action commitment under the single regeneration budget. We approved the first phase of work in December 1994. The Employment Service undertook to fund jointly with Bradford council, and for a limited three-month period until March 1995, the cost of outreach work to help unemployed adults access the training and employment opportunities created by the estate action programme. Discussions have been taking place with the council to explore how the scheme might be extended into 1995–96. Bradford training and enterprise council has offered to contribute £10,000 towards the cost of an outreach worker in 1995–96, and to arrange for up to £10,000-worth of guidance vouchers to be ring-fenced for use by Allerton's residents. It is hoped that the local authority will also make a contribution. These discussions are continuing.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he proposes to his Department's cash limit for 1994–95. [18062]

  Mr. Gummer
  I propose to make the following changes:832

  a. The DOE/OES—other environmental services—non-voted cash limit will be increased by £15,828,000 from £30,390,000 to £46,218,000. This increase reflects the take-up of end year flexibility (£2,384,000), as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1994, Official Report, columns 729–34; a transfer of £580,000 from the vote 5—central environmental services etc.—cash limit from savings there; and a technical transfer of £12,864,000 from the DOE/NT—new towns—cash limit.

  b. The DOE/HC—Housing Corporation—non-voted cash limit, covering capital expenditure financed by the Housing Corporation in England, will be increased by £2,250,000 from £1,484,540,000 to £1,486,790,000. This increase reflects transfers from vote 5 and vote 8—revenue support grant, payment of non-domestic rates, Valuation Office services etc., England—and will be used to fund additional expenditure under the corporation's approved development programme.

  c. The DOE/LACAP—local authority capital—non-voted cash limit will be increased by £44,000 from £2,221,200,000 to £2,221,244,000. The increase will be matched by a corresponding reduction in the DOE/NT cash limit. This results from the provision of additional supplementary credit approval resources to Wrekin district council to purchase residual rented housing stock from the Commission for the New Towns.

  d. The DOE/RI—regeneration initiatives— non-voted cash limit will be increased by £321,000 from £1,298,357,000 to £1,298,678,000. The increase will allow the issue of an all capital purpose supplementary credit approval in respect of the East Manchester regeneration programme grant expenditure. The increase reflects the transfer of £321,000 from the cash limit for class VII, vote 5, which will be reduced accordingly.

  e. The DOE/NT—new towns—non-voted cash limit will be reduced by £11,280,000 from—£123,346,000 to —£134,626,000. This net reduction is the result of an increase of £1,628,000, reflecting the take-up of end year flexibility as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1994, Official Report, columns 729–34; and the reductions of £44,000, being transferred to DOE/LACAP, and £12,864,000, being transferred to DOE/OES, resulting from additional receipts from local authorities.

  f. The DOE/LGR—local government reorganisationnon—non-voted cash limit will be reduced by £4,435,000 from £44,660,000 to £40,225,000. The savings are due to lower than expected take-up of SCAs for the transitional costs of local government reorganisation and the delayed start-up of the Local Government residuary body, but partially offset by an increase in the granting of other SCAs.

  g. The cash limit for class VII, vote 5—central environmental services, etc.—will be reduced by £2,601,000 from £437,145,000 to £434,544,000. This reduction, possible because of forecast savings will allow increases of £1,700,000 to the DOE/HC cash limit; £580,000 to the DOE/OES cash limit; and £321,000 to the regeneration initiatives cash limit to be made.

  h. The cash limit for class VII, vote 8—revenue support grant, payments of non-domestic rates, Valuation Office services, etc. England—will be reduced by £550,000 from £29,633,432,000 to £29,632,882,000. This reduction is due to a £300,000 saving on valuation tribunals and a £250,000 saving on the Local Government Commission and will allow increases of £550,000 to the DOE/HC cash limit.

  The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  EU Habitats Directive
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will commence consultations on special areas of conservation to be designated under the EU habitats directive; and if he will make a statement.
  833
  Mr. Gummer
  I am pleased to announce today that the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland and I are launching a wide-ranging public consultation on a list of areas which have been proposed as qualifying for designation as special areas of conservation under the EU habitats directive. The proposals constitute the advice of English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, co-ordinated through the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to ensure UK-wide consistency.

  The habitats directive requires member states to submit national lists to the European Commission by 5 June 1995. The SACs will build on our existing framework of designations. I am looking at a simplification of that framework in preparing the rural White Paper. In Scotland, the Government have asked Scottish Natural Heritage to carry out a review of designations and look forward to receiving its advice.

  The Government are committed to full and effective public consultation before deciding which areas to include in the United Kingdom national list. The consultation will be at both national and local level. My colleagues are writing today to national organisations inviting comments on the proposals. At the same time, site-by-site consultations of landowners and occupiers and other interests, including local authorities, are being undertaken at local level by the appropriate country nature conservation agency and DOE(NI). The views expressed in the consultation will be considered fully before any decisions are made about the list of sites to be put to the Commission.

  The habitats directive, adopted in 1992, was one of the most important milestones for nature conservation in Europe. The Government played an active part in its negotiation and we have pursued implementation in accordance with its requirements. This latest step is the next phase of implementation which identifies those sites considered by the nature conservation agencies and DOE(NI) to represent an appropriate contribution from the UK to the Union-wide Natura 2000 network.

  The consultation package, which I am making available in the Library of the House, includes a document which explains the way the scientific advice has been formulated. The directive requires that sites selected as SACs should be significant in terms of the biogeographical region. The habitat types and species listed for site protection are among the rarest or most threatened in Europe. The aim of the SAC network is to maintain or restore these habitat types and species at a favourable conservation status. The sites eventually selected will be those which make a significant contribution to that aim, to the coherence of the network or to the maintenance of biological diversity. The Natura 2000 network will therefore consist of sites which are the most precious in the European Union and these proposals should be considered in that context.

  The sites on the list cover both land and marine areas. All land-based sites in Great Britain which are included in the consultation are already notified as sites of special scientific interest and in Northern Ireland all land-based sites are, or shortly will be, declared areas of special scientific interest. The nature conservation agencies advise that there are some habitat types and species for which SACs will, in due course, be recommended which are not yet SSSI. Further SSSI notifications are planned
  834
  to cover, in particular, certain rivers and riverine species, active raised bogs and blanket bogs and some inter-tidal areas. This notification work will be undertaken before consultation on possible SAC designation for them takes place. The consultation list is also incomplete for certain species. Further scientific information is being sought on the freshwater pearl mussel, the great crested newt and the otter before a full range of possible sites is proposed and consulted on for these species. The Government also await further scientific advice on an additional estuarial site.

  I look forward to receiving comments on the proposals. There is already a constructive dialogue between landholders on the one hand and the country agencies and DOE(NI) on the other. There is similar discussion between these statutory bodies and users of the marine environment. This present consultation continues and reinforces the dialogue which is fundamental to the co-operation and consensus we must have to secure effective and lasting conservation.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Judges
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to introduce compulsory retirement for judges(a)at age 65 and (b) at age 70 years. [16256]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993, which is coming into force today, establishes a compulsory retirement age of 70 for those first appointed to full-time judicial office on or after that date, subject to provision for the service of office-holders below the level of the High Court to be extended, up to an age limit of 75, for periods not exceeding one year at a time, where the Lord Chancellor considers it in the public interest to do so. He expects to exercise this power sparingly. There are no plans to reduce the compulsory retirement age for judges to 65.

  Appeals Delays
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what discussions he has had and what representations he has received in respect of delays in dealing with(a) social security benefit appeals, (b) immigration case appeals and (c) other appeals; and if he will make a statement. [16500]

  Mr. John. M. Taylor
  Information is not collated in the form requested, and the question can therefore be answered only at disproportionate cost. I can confirm, however, that I received 320 letters from hon. Members during the course of 1994 relating to tribunals. The great majority of these related to immigration appeals, and many of them expressed concern about delays.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what efforts his Department has made to reduce delays in dealing with(a) social security benefit appeals, (b) immigration case appeals and (c) other appeals; and if he will make a statement. [16499]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information is as follows:

  (a) Additional staff have been appointed to the Office of the Social Security and Child Support

  835
  Commissioners to deal with the increased work load. Further, the chief commissioner has introduced streamlined procedures for certain categories of appeal and a computerised case tracking system is being developed to improve administrative efficiency.

  (b) In response to increased waiting times at certain centres of the immigration appellate authorities measures have been introduced to ensure that available court rooms are used as effectively as possible. Furthermore appellants at the London and Feltham centres are offered hearings at one of the regional centres, where waiting times are shorter.

  (c) Additional staff have been recruited for the pensions appeal tribunals to give administrative support. Extra judicial members have also been appointed and additional tribunal sittings have been arranged to help reduce waiting times for a hearing.

  Magistrates
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 24 February,Official Report, column 346, if he will take steps to bring the political balance among magistrates in Doncaster into line with the national political opinion. [16248]

  Mr. John. M. Taylor
  It is the wish of the Lord Chancellor that each lay bench should broadly reflect the community it serves. To that end, the Lord Chancellor has already asked his advisory committee for Doncaster to take appropriate steps to improve the political balance of the bench and that is being done. The Lord Chancellor would be grateful for any encouragement to this aim that the hon. Member can give locally.

  Press Officers
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many press officers there are in his Department currently, and what the figure was in 1979. [16576]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There are currently six press officers in my Department. There were no press officers employed by the Lord Chancellor's Department in 1979.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will give in each of the last five years the number of cases where the defence legal aid costs have exceeded £1 million. [16245]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The numbers of cases where the defence legal aid costs have exceeded £1 million, including VAT, in each of the last five years, in criminal proceedings, were as follows:

  1989–90: 1

  1990–91: —

  1991–92: 1

  1992–93: 3

  1993–94: 14

  Mrs. Danielle Souness
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the cost 836
  to the legal aid funding of Mrs. Danielle Souness's case against Mr. Souness. [16417]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  No moneys have been paid from the legal aid fund.

  Tribunal Staff
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the impact of staffing shortages on the time taken to deal with(a) before and (b) after the appeal itself has been held; and if he will make a statement. [16501]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  There are presently five vacant posts from a total complement of 220 administrative staff for all the tribunals run by my Department. These vacancies have not had a significant impact on the time taken to deal with cases either before or after an appeal hearing.

SCOTLAND

  Secondary Education
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the future relationship between the Scottish Examination Board and the Scottish Vocational Education Council in the light of the proposals he announced for the reform of upper secondary education in Scotland last year. [17948]

  Mr. Lang
  I am pleased to announce that I am publishing a consultation paper entitled "Options for the Future Relationship between the Scottish Examination Board and the Scottish Vocational Education Council" today. The paper looks at possibilities for the future relationship between the two bodies and seeks respondents' views on the way forward. Copies of the document have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

  Registers of Scotland
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the targets he expects the Registers of Scotland executive agency to achieve in 1995–96. [18275]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I have set the Registers of Scotland the following key targets for 1995–96:

  to reduce the turnround time over the year for recording writs on the sasine register from 35 working days to 33 working days, with performance in any quarter not exceeding 36.5 working days;

  to reduce the turnround time over the year for dealings on the land register not attached to a first registration or a transfer of part from 57.5 working days to 55 working days, with performance in any quarter not exceeding 60.5 working days;

  to reduce unit costs in real terms by 4 per cent. against 1994–95 target for sasines and 7 per cent. against 1994–95 target for dealings;

  to continue the land register extension programme and achieve the transfer of Aberdeen and Kincardine on 1 April 1996;

  to achieve trading fund status by 1 April 1996;

  to recover full operating costs; and

  to achieve at least 97 per cent. of customers expressing themselves satisfied with the accuracy of work and helpfulness of staff for all parts of the business.

  Caledonian MacBrayne
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to set targets for Caledonian MacBrayne for 1995–96. [18276]

  Mr. Lang
  I have decided to set the following targets for Caledonian MacBrayne for the year 1995–96. The company will be required to achieve as a financial target that fares income should meet at least 58 per cent. of operating costs, including depreciation charged on a replacement cost basis and provision for an 8 per cent. forgone rate of return on capital. As an efficiency target, the company will be asked not to exceed a maximum unit cost of 84p per passenger car unit capacity kilometre. As a quality of service target, the company will be asked to achieve a figure of 97 per cent. of sailings arriving on time, excluding sailings which are delayed or cancelled for safety reasons, for example, adverse weather conditions. I consider that the setting of these targets will provide a clear framework for the operation of the company in 1995–96, which is consistent with the Government's objectives of securing continued improvement in operational efficiency and standards of service.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to issue consistent advice through the Benefits Agency offices on how to treat men and women who receive training grants from the European social fund. [16841]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Barry Sheerman, dated 30 March 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about the advice issued to Benefit Agency offices when people are receiving training grants from the European Social Fund (ESF).
  To ensure national consistency in the adjudication of benefit claims the Chief Adjudication Officer issues an interpretation of legislation in the form of the Adjudication Officer's Guide (AOG). The AOG is available in all Benefits Agency (BA) offices. AOG paragraphs 25468 to 25471 gives guidance on the meaning of training allowance.
  BA Central Services issues operational guidance for all benefits to BA offices in the form of various manuals. An Income Support Handbook entitled "Directory of Training and Education Programmes", paragraphs 450–499, specifically covers the treatment of income from the ESF.
  Staff in BA Central Services and Central Adjudication Services (CAS) are also available to discuss any queries staff in offices may have with any guidance that is issued.
  Copies of the AOG and the Income Support handbook are available in the Library.
  The Chief Adjudication Officer's view, reflected in the national guidance, is that payments from the ESF do not constitute a training allowance for the purposes of benefit entitlement because they are not paid out of public funds. Income from this is therefore taken fully into account in determining entitlement to Income Support (IS).
  This is based on caselaw which says that where a regulation says public funds that means the public funds of Great Britain unless the
  838
  draftsman explicitly states otherwise. He has not in the case of ESF payments. Therefore ESF payments do not receive the same special treatment that is given to other training allowances paid by or on behalf of Government Departments.
  The Chief Adjudication Officer's view of these payments is however currently being tested in a case awaiting a hearing before the Social Security Commissioner.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Family Credit and Disability Working Allowance
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what circumstances employed status participants in training for work, or in independent programmes supported by the European social fund, can claim in-work benefits including family credit and disability working allowance; and if he will make a statement. [15155]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  In general, any employee, including a participant in a training scheme supported by the European social fund, can claim family credit or disability working allowance, provided that he satisfies the other conditions of entitlement. However, because the Training for Work (Miscellaneous Provisions) Order 1993 and the Training for Work (Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise Programmes) Order 1993 specify that participants in those schemes shall not be treated as being employed, employed status trainees under those schemes are currently unable to qualify for family credit or disability working allowance although they may qualify for income support. My hon. Friends the Under-Secretary of State for Employment and the Minster with responsibility for industry and local government at the Scottish Office propose to lay new orders shortly in order to enable such trainees to qualify for family credit and disability working allowance on the same basis as other employees.

  Participants in any training scheme can claim housing benefit and council tax benefit and will continue to be able to do so.

  Residential Care and Nursing Homes
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of those in residential care and nursing homes on 31 March 1993 were in receipt of(a) income support; (b) attendance allowance and (c) disability living allowance. [16263]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Information is not available for the date requested that includes attendance allowance or disability living allowance. In May 1993 the following number of residents were in receipt of:

  (a) Income Support: 284,000

  (b) Income Support and Attendance Allowance: 113,000

  (c) Income Support and Disability Living Allowance: 31,000.

  The number of residents in residential care and nursing homes in receipt of income support on the 27 March 1993 was 281,000.

  Note:

  The figures for income support for May 1993 are for preserved rights cases only.

  Source:

  "Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry, May 1993".

  Residential Care and Nursing Home 100 per cent. scan March 1993.

  Mesothelioma
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the
  839
  findings of the Health and Safety Executive-Peto report, "Continuing Increase in Mesothelioma Mortality in Britain", and its consequence for his Department's policy. [17073]

  Mr. Hague
  Diffuse mesothelioma is already included in the list of prescribed diseases for which industrial injuries disablement benefit is payable. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is advised on the list by the independent Industrial Injuries Advisory Council which is aware of the Peto report. The council monitors developments in the field of occupational disease, and intends to review asbestos-related diseases as part of its work programme for the current year.

  Habitual Residence Test
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral statement of 21 March,Official Report, column 259 what is the global figure for the number of people who have won their appeals against refusal of benefit under the habitual residence test. [17437]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  In the debate on 21 March I referred to certain global figures which had been supplied to the hon. Member. Unfortunately these figures relate to the application of the habitual residence test at the point of claim, not the appeal stage.

  The position on appeals is as I have previously explained. The reasons for an appeal are not routinely identified and figures for past appeals could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. Department officials are looking at whether this type of information could be extracted without disproportionate cost for future appeals.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are his latest estimates of the numbers of people who will receive(a) short-term incapacity benefit at the lower rate, (b) short-term incapacity benefit at the higher rate and (c) the long-term rate of incapacity benefit, in each of the years (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97, (iii) 1997–98 and 1998–99. [17440]

  Mr. Hague
  The available information is in the table.

  Estimated number of people in receipt of Incapacity Benefit at the end of March in each year

  Thousand

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  Short-term Incapacity Benefit (lower rate)

  145

  145

  145

  145

  Short-term Incapacity Benefit (higher rate)

  110

  110

  110

  115

  Long-term Incapacity Benefit

  1,545

  1,430

  1,380

  1,340

  Notes:

  1. Estimates are provisional and as such will be subject to revision at a later stage.

  2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5,000.

  3. Figures take account of the estimated effect of the new medical test.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 23 January,Official
  840
  Report, column 83, if he will explain how the 48 per cent. of savings resulting from the exclusion of existing claimants of incapacity benefit is to be achieved; and whether this 48 per cent. includes the 41 per cent. of savings arising from the exclusion of existing claimants by the medical test. [17436]

  Mr. Hague
  The answer was incorrectly printed in the Official Report. It should have read:
  "In 1995–96, 13 per cent. of the estimated savings are accounted for by the exclusion of new claimants as a result of the medical test of incapacity and 41 per cent. by the exclusion of existing claimants. In 1996–97, 17 per cent. of the estimated savings are accounted for by the exclusion of new claimants as a result of the medical test and 48 per cent. by the exclusion of existing claimants."

  All the estimated savings to which the answer refers are to be achieved by the application of the medical test of incapacity.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Public Relations
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidelines his Department has issued to its agencies and other public bodies under its authority in respect of the employment of public relations companies and the procedures to be adopted in relation to requesting tenders for public relations companies. [16216]

  Sir John Wheeler
  No specific guidelines in respect of the employment of public relations companies have been issued. General guidance on the use of consultants, which covers public relations companies, was issued in 1989. A copy has been placed in the library.

  The Northern Ireland Office, NI Departments and their agencies and public bodies can, and do, avail themselves of advice on purchasing issues, including tendering procedures, from the Government purchasing service, which is a specialist purchasing unit within the Department of Finance and Personnel.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on public relations during the financial year 1993–94; how much contracts with the private sector cost; and if he will list the activities covered by these contracts. [16283]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Public relations and other forms of publicity within Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office fall primarily to departmental information officers and the information services. In addition, departmental staff carry out an extensive range of public relations activities. To disaggregate the total cost of these activities from their other duties would involve disproportionate cost.

  The total cost of public relations contracts with the private sector in 1993–94 was £996,118. These involved the following projects:

  Preparation of Department of Education's corporate image, including logo.

  Department of Education (NI) stand at the ideal home exhibition.

  Advertising and publishing of parents charter for Department of Education (NI).

  Updating Department of Education's database (Touch screen exhibition equipment).

  Promotional video for the Department of Education (NI).

  841

  Public relations contracts in the Industrial Development Board's (IDB) target markets of North America, Germany, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

  Consultant employed by the Department of Economic Development (DED), in the fair employment field.

  Privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE).

  New corporate identity for Making Belfast Work (MBW).

  Best of Northern Ireland exhibition at Westminster.

  Stormont castle publicity booklets and promotional material.

  Launch of Valuation and Lands Agency.

  Government purchasing service (NI) stand at HMT public procurement exhibition at Olympia.

  Public Records Office publications.

  Miss Shirley Robbins
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Government Department is responsible for paying the extra costs of electricity arising from the use, for medical reasons, of a new ventilator machine for Miss Shirley Robbins of Morpeth street, who suffered from polio as a child. [16715]

  Mr. Moss
  As this matter involves personal information relating to Miss Robbins, I will write to the hon. Member.

  Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when his Department will undertake a review of the application of all provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to all alleged offenders in the north of Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [16784]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 applies only to England and Wales. Virtually identical legislation was introduced in Northern Ireland in the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989. A number of amendments are currently being considered to the order and my right hon. and learned Friend will make an announcement shortly.

  Police Authority
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the salary paid to the chairman of the Northern Ireland Police Authority; and to what other allowances he is normally entitled. [17046]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The chairman of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland presently receives a remuneration of £31,865 per annum. Travel and subsistence allowances in line with civil service rates are payable for official business.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Press Officers
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Attorney-General how many press officers there are in his Department currently; and what the figure was in 1979.

  The Attorney-General
  There are currently eight press officers employed in the departments for which I am responsible. There were no such officers in 1979, on which date the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office, which currently employ six press officers and two press officers respectively, were not in existence.

PRIME MINISTER

  Advertising
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list each non-departmental public body and agency for which he has responsibility and, for each, list separate figures for spending by that body or agency on(a) television advertising,(b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising, (d) other promotional materials and activities, (e) the totals in each year of (a) to (d), and (f) the proportion of (e) that was spent on recruitment advertising, for each year since 1979–80 or for each year since 1979–80 or for each of its existence if it has been created since then; and what are his latest estimates of (a) to (f) for the years 1994–95 and 1995–96. [17632]

  The Prime Minister
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Rupert Pennant-Rea
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Prime Minister whether he approved the terms of the letter sent by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Mr. Rupert Pennant-Rea in answer to his resignation letter; and what is the Government's policy on standards of behaviour of senior public officials. [17120]

  The Prime Minister
  My approval was neither sought nor required to the letter my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer sent to Mr. Rupert Pennant-Rea. I have now read it and agree with it. The Government's policy is to uphold the highest standard in public life.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Turkish Government to ensure that no arms given to Turkey by NATO are being used in the attacks now taking place against Kurdish safe havens in northern Iraq. [17234]

  Mr. David Davis
  None in this context. Proposed United Kingdom arms sales to Turkey, as to other countries, are considered on a case-by-case basis and are subject to stringent licensing procedures. In particular, we do not grant licences for the sale of equipment which we believe is likely to be used for internal repression.

  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what equipment Her Majesty's Government consider is covered by its ban on arms sales to China.

  Mr. Goodlad
  Since 7 June 1989 the United Kingdom has enforced an embargo on the sale to China of"weapons, and equipment which could be used for internal repression".

  The EU introduced a ban on arms sales to China on 26 June 1989 but the scope of that ban has, in the absence of agreement on a common interpretations, been left for national interpretation. In the interests of clarity we have decided that henceforward the embargo will include:

  843

  lethal weapons such as machine guns, large calibre weapons, bombs, torpedoes, rockets and missiles;

  specially designed components of the above, and ammunition;

  military aircraft and helicopters, vessels of war, armoured fighting vehicles and other such weapons platforms;

  any equipment which is likely to be used for internal repression.

  All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis in the light of these criteria as well as our usual criteria governing all defence exports.

  EU Council Meetings
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union.

  Mr. David Davis
  The information meetings are planned:

  3–4 April: Culture/Media

  6 April: Fisheries

  7 April: Industry

  10–11 April: Foreign Affairs

  The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

  3 April: Culture Council

  14.30:

  —Adoption of the provisional agenda

  —Adoption of the list of "A" points

  — Audiovisual policy:

  — Proposal for a MEDIA II programme: orientation debate

  —Co-ordination of legislative, regulatory and administrative measures in the member states concerning television broadcasting: presentation from the Commission of its proposal to modify the Council directive of 3 October 1989

  —Financial mechanisms intended to permit the mobilisation of finance for audiovisual production: oral communication from the Commission

  17.00:
  —Joint meeting of the Council and the countries of central and eastern Europe concerning co-operation in the fields of both culture and audiovisual policy.

  4 April: Culture Council

  —European heritage and multimedia: draft resolution

  —Co-operation with the countries of central and eastern Europe: draft resolution

  —Proposal for a decision establishing a support programme for artistic and cultural activities (KALEIDOSCOPE 2000): orientation debate

  —Proposal for a decision establishing a community support programme for the dissemination of literary, theatrical and reference works through translation and specialist training of literary translators (ARIANE): orientation debate

  —Community support programme in the field of cultural heritage (RAPHAEL): information from the Commission

  6 April: Fisheries Council

  —Total allowable catches for the Greenland halibut

  —Objectives and strategies for the period 1994 to 1997

  —Additional conditions for year to year management of total allowable catches and quotas

  —Technical conservation measures

  —(possible) Guide prices

  —(possible) Common marketing standards for shrimps, edible crabs and Norway lobsters

  —(possible) Tariff quotas for certain fishery products

  —(possible) Structural assistance—scale of premiums

  —(possible) Structural assistance—early retirement

  —Fisheries relations with Morocco.

  844
  7 April: Industry Council

  —Industry and competition—an oral presentation by the Commission on its interim report on competition policy in 1994

  —Industry and research—a joint presentation by Commissioners Bangemann and Cresson

  —Industrial co-operation with central and eastern Europe discussion on Commission communication and adoption of Council conclusions

  —Industrial competitiveness—adoption of Council conclusions on Commission communication on follow-up to previous Council conclusions on competitiveness

  —High technology industries—adoption of Council conclusions

  —Information society—Commission report on G7 conference and follow-up to Bangemann report

  —Steel—report on monitoring of state aid

  —Possible presentation of modification to aid code

  10–11 April: Foreign Affairs Council

  —Adoption of the agenda

  —Approval of the list of "A" items

  —Resolutions adopted by the European Parliament at its part-sessions (Brussels, 28 February to 2 March, and Strasbourg, 13 to 17 March 1995)

  —Preparation for the joint meeting with the associated CEEs

  —Determination of the common position to be adopted for the first meeting of the Association Council with the Czech Republic

  —Determination of the common position to be adopted for the first meeting of the Association Council with Romania

  —(possible) Negotiating directives for the adaptation of the Europe agreements and free trade agreements with the Baltic countries, further to enlargement

  —Relations with Russia

  —Former Yugoslavia

  —Relations with Croatia

  —(possible) Stability pact: Follow-up to the concluding conference

  —Nuclear non-proliferation: Preparation for the conference on the NPT

  —Burundi

  —(possible) EU supervision of elections in the Palestinian territories

  —(possible) Union action concerning anti-personnel mines

  —Mediterranean policy

  a) Bilateral negotiations with Israel, Morocco and Tunisia

  b) Preparation for the Euro-Mediterranean conference: Adoption of the summary report

  —Relations with Malta

  a) Action to be taken on the Commission report

  b) Decision on signing the fourth financial protocol.

  —Relations with Cyprus

  —decision on signing the fourth financial protocol

  —Relations with Latin America

  a) (possible) Chile: Presentation by the Commission of its assessment report

  b) Mexico: Strengthening of relations between the European Union and Mexico

  —(possible) Japan

  —Commission communication

  —Trade questions

  —establishment of the WTO and multilateral trade negotiations

  —Mid-term review of the Fourth ACP-EC convention

  —8th EDF

  —(possible) South Africa

  —negotiating directives

  —Council report on the functioning of the treaty on European Union

  —Transparency of Council proceedings

  Obscene Publications
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will publish the text of his letter to the hon. Member for Congleton of 13 March in connection with the agreement for the suppression of the circulation of obscene publications; [16525]

  (2) pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Congleton of 28 February, what inquiries have now been made of the United Nations by his Department in connection with the status and operative provisions of the agreement for the suppression of the circulation of obscene publications; what proposals there are to comply with those provisions of the agreement which require the five-yearly consideration of the desirability of calling a conference on the matters covered by the agreement; and if he will make a statement. [16523]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 27 March 1995]: The United Nations treaty department has confirmed that an agreement for the suppression of the circulation of obscene publications was signed in 1910 and amended by a protocol in 1949, and a convention for the suppression of the circulation and traffic in obscene publications was concluded in 1923 and amended by a protocol in 1947. Article 16 of the 1923 convention, not the 1910 agreement, contains the provision for calling a conference at the end of each period of five years. As amended in 1947 it states:
  "Upon a request for a revision of the present Convention by five of the signatory or acceding Parties to the Convention, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations shall call a conference for that purpose. In any event, the Council will consider the desirability of calling a conference at the end of each period of five years".

  There is no record of five members asking for a conference. The secretariat of ECOSOC has confirmed to us that it has come under no pressure from signatories to review the 1923 convention, nor has it opted to call a conference as provided for under article 16.

  The convention is still active: the Czech and Slovak Republics succeeded to it—independently—on 28 August 1993. If there were a proposal by five member states signatory to the convention, the Economic and Social Council would call a conference. We are not aware of any current proposals to do so.

  Copies of the texts of the 1910 agreement and the 1923 convention will be lodged in the Library of the House in due course.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fishing Quotas
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the prosecutions pursued by his Department against fishermen for breaching non-sector quotas and what fines or other penalties were imposed in each successful case in each year since 1988 in England and Wales. [15590]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 23 March 1995]: The number of prosecution cases involving breaches of non-sector quota limits is summarised in the table. Some of the vessels prosecuted may have belonged to producer
  846
  organisations but fished against non-sector quota limits for certain stocks.

  Year of offence

  Number of successful prosecution cases

  Total fines incurred£

  1988

  1

  10,000

  1989

  3

  35,095

  1990

  7

  10,050

  1991

  14

  75,803

  1992

  25

  140,237

  1993

  13

  97,086

  1994

  3

  310,000

  Public Relations
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidelines his Department has issued to its agencies and other public bodies under its authority in respect of the employment of public relations companies and the procedures to be adopted in relation to requesting tenders for public relations companies. [16658]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The circumstances in which a commercial public relations company may be employed by Government Departments are strictly limited. They are set out in central guidance, as are the procedures to be followed in respect of contract tendering. Agency framework documents explicitly reiterate the need to observe central Government requirements in purchasing of any external services.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department spent on public relations during the financial year 1993–94; how much contracts with the private sector cost; and if he will list the activities covered by these contracts. [16285]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In the financial year 1993–94, my Department, excluding agencies, spent £4.3 million publicity, publications and pamphlets. Central rules specifically preclude the engagement of commercial consultants for direct representational tasks and none was so employed.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost of the common agricultural policy per citizen in the European Union in each year since 1973. [16131]

  Mr. Jack
  The only readily available estimates of the total transfers to agriculture from consumers and taxpayers in the European Community are those based on analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The information, which is available only on an annual basis from 1986 and as a three-year average back to 1979, is given in the table:

  Year

  Total transfers billion ECUs

  1979–81

  57

  1983–85

  58

  1986

  105

  1987

  104

  1988

  102

  1989

  92

  847

  Year

  Total transfers billion ECUs

  1990

  104

  1991

  116

  1992

  111

  1993

  116

  Notes:

  The estimates relate to the EC Twelve except for the period 1979–85 when they relate to the EC10. The ex-GDR is included from 1990.

  Source:

  OECD, Agricultural Policies and Trade, annual.

  It should be noted that these estimates are likely to overstate the true cost of the CAP because the consumer cost element is based on the difference between EC producer prices and world prices. In the absence of support, world prices would almost certainly be higher.

  Estimates of population are given in the EUROSTAT's "Basic Statistics of the Community", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Integrated Administration and Control System
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a comparison between the documents required in support of the integrated administration and control system in each member country; and if he will make a statement. [16146]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 24 March 1995]: Documentation relating to IACS produced by other member states is reviewed periodically. During our last review, we found that the explanatory literature produced in some other member states is short. But this is achieved in a number of ways. In some countries the booklet contains only general material, while instructions on completing the forms appear in separate leaflets. Some simply use much smaller print. Others give only basic information and instruct farmers to consult their local offices if they need more or refer back to EC or national rules. Others may rely on producer groups to help farmers with their applications, on the basis of software provided by the Government. We have preferred a comprehensive approach which takes the applicant step by step through the forms. This approach is also generally favoured by the industry whose views we sought this year and who have preferred not to change a format which is now familiar to farmers.

  The EC rules on IACS recognise that there will be differences of approach betweeh member states because of different administrative structures. Thus, the Commission's role in ensuring uniform adherence to the rules is a vital one.

  Milk Quotas
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans his Ministry has to review the allocation and method of allocation of milk quotas(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) between EU countries. [17015]

  Mr. Jack>
  Milk quotas have been allocated to producers in the United Kingdom in accordance with current EC legislation. That legislation will be reviewed before 31 March 2000 when it is due to expire. In the meantime the Government are pressing, so far without success, for a change in the rules to permit the leasing of milk quotas across member state frontiers.
  848
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the UK's estimated milk production capacity; and what is the United Kingdom's total milk quota.

  Mr. Jack
  Conditions in much of the United Kingdom are ideal for producing milk. But we are prevented from making the most of our natural advantages by the EC milk quota system. The UK's total milk quota is currently 14,590,047 tonnes.

  Milk Imports
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much milk is imported annually into the United Kingdom; and how much of this comes from the EU. [17020]

  Mr. Jack
  In 1993, the latest year for which figures are available, a total of 92,887 tonnes of milk were imported into the UK. This entire amount came from other EU member states.

  Statutory References
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what statutory references to hon. Members have been made in legislation introduced by his Department, or its predecessors, since 1965. [17035]

  Mr. Jack
  An analysis of all legislation introduced by this Department since 1965 for any reference of the type requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It would be extremely unlikely for reference to be made specifically to an individual hon. Member, although frequent references are made to officers of state.

  Poultry
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of birds slaughtered under programme code PP2:02; and what was the cost of compensation for these birds. [17022]

  Mrs. Browning
  The total number of poultry birds compulsorily slaughtered in Great Britain because of salmonella infection and the compensation paid for these birds since the introduction of the policy in March 1989 are set out in the following table.

  Type of bird slaughtered

  Total slaughtered

  Compensation paid £

  Layer

  2,340,254

  3,717,952

  Layer breeder

  106,121

  903,805

  Broiler breeder

  1,131,178

  3,258,998

  Total

  3,577,553

  7,880,755

  Sheep (Salmonella)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what programmes his Ministry has to reduce the occurrence of salmonella in sheep. [17023]

  Mrs. Browning
  There are no formal programmes to reduce the occurrence of salmonella in sheep which remains relatively low. However, all isolations have to be reported to a veterinary officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who, on the basis of the
  849
  information received, will decide the need for further action or advice.

  Hormones
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evaluation he has made of the findings of the Consumers Association in respect of traces of EU banned hormones in United Kingdom meat samples; and if he will reconsider current monitoring standards in the light of the European test findings on hormones in meat. [17280]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The concentrations of banned hormones found in the United Kingdom meat samples taken by the Consumers Association are unlikely to pose a threat to human health. Nevertheless, the findings are a cause for concern. Officials at the veterinary medicines directorate have been in contact with the Consumers Association which has provided some additional information on the samples, but, in view of the time that has elapsed since they were purchased and the results published, coupled with the absence of any packaging material, it is proving very difficult to establish the source.

  Surveillance for banned hormones is carried out in the UK under the national surveillance scheme for residues in meat, which implements directive 86/469/EEC. The number of samples taken each year is based on a statistical analysis of the numbers of animals slaughtered in the previous year, so that within prescribed confidence limits, we can be satisfied that the results obtained are truly representative. The number of samples can be increased in the light of developments, but, although the position is being kept under review, we have no plans at this stage to change the level of monitoring as a result of these findings.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how his Ministry's tests on meat samples are carried out to monitor for the use of banned substances. [17281]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Samples of bile, urine, serum and thyroid which have been collected from cattle, pigs and sheep at slaughterhouses and on-farm under the statutory national surveillance scheme for residues in meat are analysed for the presence of banned substances in accordance with the provisions of Commission decision 92/256/EEC. This lays down the methods to be used for detecting residues of banned substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action.

  Samples of meat and meat products purchased from retail outlets under the separate non-statutory surveillance programme, and covering both home-produced and imported meat and meat products, are also tested for the presence of banned hormonal and thyrostatic substances using similar procedures.

  The results of both the statutory and non-statutory surveillance programmes are published annually in the veterinary medicines directorate's annual report and accounts and updated quarterly in its MAVIS newsletter.

  Pig Producers
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to give grant aid to pig producers for the replacement of sow stalls and tethers. [17063]
  850
  Mr. Jack
  I have no such plans. Pig producers have been given an eight-year adequate transitional period to introduce the new arrangements and have a unique opportunity to supply British consumers with pork and bacon produced to a high welfare standard. A grant aid scheme would not be fair to those producers who have already made the change.

  Spanish Fishermen
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the extent to which Spanish fishermen have been catching undersized fish, illegal fish, using undersize nets and or using illegal holds while fishing off Canada; and if he will make a statement. [17490]

  Mr. Jack
  Enforcement in the international waters off Canada regulated by the North-west Atlantic Fisheries Organisation is the responsibility of NAFO members fishing there. The United Kingdom has no fishing vessels or national inspectors operating in these fisheries and therefore has no first-hand experience of fishing practices and enforcement there.

  Meat Hygiene Service
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the framework document and performance targets for the Meat Hygiene Service. [18395]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Meat Hygiene Service will be launched on 1 April as an executive agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. I am arranging for copies of its framework document to be placed in the Library of the House.

  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have set the following targets for the Meat Hygiene Service in 1995–96.

  Financial Performance
  To recover from plant operators the full economic costs of providing the statutory health inspection and controls at fresh meat premises, taking account of any transitional financial arrangements which Ministers may agree.
  To recover from Government Departments and agencies the full economic costs of providing agreed services or other work undertaken on their behalf.
  To comply with budgetary controls resulting from PES and the Supply Estimates.

  Efficiency
  To work from the outset for gains in efficiency inter alia by:
  (a) minimising the total number of hours and the associated costs of meat inspector and OVS time required to operate the service to the standards laid down and taking steps to adjust staffing levels wherever possible following the completion by end October 1995 of the audit of standards and staffing levels in all full throughout plants;
  (b) holding overhead costs in 1995–96 within a limit of £8.115 million (before deduction of income from services provided to central Government).
  Note: On this basis the MHS will deliver in 1995–96 an efficiency gain of approximately 10 per cent. in relation to the estimated total costs in 1994–95, and will establish a firm base for further gains in efficiency in future years.

  Quality and Delivery of Service
  To apply hygiene requirements in such a way as to raise levels of compliance by slaughterhouses and cutting premises progressively by:

  851

  (a) establishing a baseline in terms of HAS score where this has not already been done;

  (b) in red meat slaughterhouses fully approved on 30 September 1995 which had a score of less than 65 at the last inspection by the state veterinary service in 1994–95, working with plant management to raise HAS scores by at least an average of 10 points by the end of 1995–96.

  To complete a welfare audit by the plant OVS of all licensed slaughterhouses, and agree with plant management a timetable for any necessary corrective action, by the end of November 1995. To meet the standards laid down in the MHS customer service statement.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Hampshire Police
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the additional police to be recruited by the Hampshire police force will be stationed on the Isle of Wight. [17422]

  Mr. Maclean
  It is for the chief constable to decide how his officers are to be deployed within the force area. I understand that decisions have not yet been taken about the deployment of extra officers to be recruited.

  Closed Circuit Television
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who was on the judging panel which recommended to Ministers which bids should be successful under the closed circuit television challenge scheme; and how many of their recommendations Ministers accepted. [17441]

  Mr. Maclean
  The recommendations to Ministers were based on the assessments of a five-person panel comprising Home Office officials—including one with technical expertise—a business consultant and an academic consultant, both on secondment to the Home Office. Of the 480 bids received, 289 were assessed by the panel as being of good or very good quality. From that total, Ministers selected the 106 winners.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) unsuccessful and (b) successful bids for closed circuit television challenge funding fell into each of the four categories listed in the bidding guidance. [17443]

  Mr. Maclean
  A significant number of bids, both successful and unsuccessful, fell into more than one category. The total number of bids by main category as described in the bidding guidance was as follows:

  Number

  Category A (Town Centre Schemes)

  295

  Category B (Neighbourhood Schemes)

  40

  Category C (Travel and Business Areas)

  46

  Category D (Community Centres)

  99

  Total

  480

  The number of successful bids by main category was as follows:
  852

  Number

  Category A

  90

  Category B

  1

  Category C

  11

  Category D

  4

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many London bids were received for the closed circuit television challenge competition; and what amount those bids were for. [17445]

  Mr. Maclean
  Some 60 bids were received from the London region, seeking a total of £3,414,000.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful bids for the closed circuit television challenge scheme attracted private funding; and what was the average proportion of the total cost of each scheme to be financed by private funding. [17438]

  Mr. Maclean
  Some 103 of the 106 successful bids had pledges of private sector funding. The remaining three successful bids were for neighbourhood or community schemes where private sector funding was not a requirement. It is estimated that the total value of private sector funding pledged for all bids received was £10 million.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state for each of the successful bids in the closed circuit television challenge scheme(a) how much they will receive and (b) how much they bid. [17442]

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is as follows:

  CCTV competition: winners by government office region (and Wales)

  Eastern Region

  In this region each of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for.

  Chelmsford Town Centre: £100,000.

  Ely Town Centre: £8,300.

  Peterborough Town Centre: £100,000.

  Stevenage Town Centre: £100,000.

  Hitchin Town Centre and Letchworth Business Park: £100,000.

  Harlow Town Centre: £50,000.

  Thetford Town Centre: £100,000.

  Hadleigh and Sudbury Town Centres: £100,000.

  East Midlands

  In this region each of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for, except Mansfield which bid for £100,000.

  Gainsborough—Industrial Estates: £90,000.

  Scawsby Community Centre, Workshop: £4,250.

  Boston Town Centre: £20,000.

  Kirton Town Centre: £7,500.

  Kettering Town Centre: £50,000.

  Ilkeston Town Centre: £45,000.

  Norris Hill, Moira: £8,500.

  Donington Town Centre: £8,250.

  Loughborough Town Centre: £48,100.

  Mansfield Town Centre: £50,000.

  Market Harborough Town Centre: £40,000

  South West

  In this region all but two of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for. The Crown Glass Centre bid for £58,000 and Boscombe bid for £32,500.

  Crown Glass Centre, Nailsea: £40,000.

  Tiverton Town Centre: £12,000.

  Boscombe Town Centre: £20,000.

  Berkeley Square Car Park, Bristol: £19,000.

  853

  Bodmin Town Centre: £12,000.

  Cirencester Town Centre: £70,000.

  Falmouth Town Centre: £25,000.

  Newquay Town Centre: £50,000.

  Truro Town Centre: £40,000.

  Salisbury Town Centre: £100,000.

  Torquay Town Centre: £50,000.

  Wiltshire Mobile CCTV System: £10,000.

  Gloucester City Centre: £10,000.

  Tiverton Business Park: £7,400.

  West Midlands

  In this region all but two of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for. Worcester bid for £24,500.

  Tamworth bid for £75,000.

  Worcester City Centre: £20,000.

  Shrewsbury Town Centre: £100,000.

  Tamworth Town Centre: £60,000.

  Stratford upon Avon Town Centre: £50,000.

  Rugby Town Centre: £70,000.

  Hereford City Centre: £60,000.

  Solihull Town Centre: £60,000.

  Lichfield Town Centre: £93,300

  Ledbury High Street: £10,000.

  South East

  In this region all but five of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for. Maidstone, Folkstone, High Wycombe and Wokingham each bid for £100,000. Addlestone bid for up to £100,000.

  Fawcett Road Shipping Area, Portsmouth: £28,500

  Maidstone Town Centre: £50,000.

  Ashford Town Centre: £89,000.

  Havant Town Centre: £50,000.

  Dover and Deal Town Centres: £17,500.

  Folkestone Town Centre: £70,000.

  High Wycombe Town Centre: £50,000.

  Newhaven Town Centre: £41,000.

  Egham Town Centre: £65,000.

  Eastbourne Town Centre: £50,000.

  Sandwich Town Centre: £7,500.

  Rochester Business Estate: £35,000.

  Dartford Town Centre: £50,000.

  Tonbridge and West Malling Town Centres: £36,000

  Addlestone Town Centre: £50,000

  Banbury: £60,000

  Wokingham Town Centre: £50,000

  Basingstoke Town Centre: £25,000

  Chesham: £23,000

  Merseyside

  Kirkby Railway Station:

  Received: £28,750. Bid: £28,750.

  London

  In this region each of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for.

  Harrow Town Centre: £50,000

  Hillingdon Mobile CCTV System: £14,000

  Sunbury Cross Shopping Centre: £45,000

  Archway Mall, Islington: 12,400

  Hounslow Town Centre: £50,000

  Erith Town Centre: £50,000

  Webbs Industrial Estate, Higham Lodge Business Centre and Blackhorse Mews, North Walthamstow: £46,000

  Richmond Town Centre: £50,000

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  In this region all but one of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for. York bid for £100,000.

  Harrogate Town Centre: £50,000

  Outwood Grange School, Wakefield: £22,000

  Balby Street School, Doncaster: £5,000

  Lower Don Valley, Sheffield: £53,000

  854

  Driffield Town Centre: £6,000

  Keighley Town Centre: £34,700

  Scarborough Town Centre: £100,000

  Sutton Fields Industrial Estate, Hull: £50,000

  York City Centre: £50,000

  Boroughbridge Town Centre: £7,000

  Brigg Town Centre: £49,900

  North West

  In this region each of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for.

  Clitheroe Town Centre: £28,500

  Neston Town Centre: £80,000

  Carlisle City Centre: £60,000

  Blackpool Town Centre: £50,000

  Chester City Centre: £25,000

  Hyde Town Centre: £21,000

  Penrith Town Centre: £71,000

  Rochdale Town Centre: £50,000

  Wigan Town Centre: £80,000

  Tameside Business Development Centre: £2,000

  Bury Town Centre: £80,000

  Lancaster City Centre: £58,500

  Morecambe Seafront: £59,700

  North East

  In this region all but one of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for. Team Valley, Gateshead bid for £100,000.

  Whitley Bay Town Centre: £100,000

  Team Valley Estate, Gateshead: £50,000

  Gateshead Town Centre: £65,000

  Chester-le-Street Town Centre: £80,000

  Bishop Auckland Town Centre: £75,000

  Skippers Lane Industrial Estate, Cleveland: £80,000

  Mill Lane Primary School, Cleveland: £6,000

  Wales

  In Wales each of the winners, as listed below, received the amount bid for.

  Colwyn Bay Town Centre: £100,000

  Cwmbran Town Centre: £100,000

  West Glamorgan Mobile CCTV System £4,400

  Rhondda Fawr Road, Ystrad £1,750

  Haverfordwest Town Centre £16,000

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend closed circuit television funding. [17444]

  Mr. Maclean
  The recent CCTV challenge competition has injected £5 million into local CCTV schemes, generating up to £13.8 million in other funding. The possibility of further competitions in the future has not been ruled out, but it is too early to give a firm commitment.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful bids for closed circuit television challenge money were applications to extend or upgrade existing schemes; and what proportion of the funding this will represent. [17446]

  Mr. Maclean
  There were a total of 65 bids to extend or upgrade existing systems, of which 15 were successful. Funding for those 15 bids amounted to £487,000, representing 9.7 per cent. of the total made available.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers are currently detained under Immigration Act powers in HMP Rochester; and when use of the second wing within HMP
  855
  Rochester to hold Immigration Act detainees is likely to begin; [17690]

  (2) how many asylum seekers are currently detained under Immigration Act powers; and if he will provide a breakdown of those detained, by length of detention and by location. [17689]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  As at 29 March 1995, a total of 619 persons who had sought asylum were detained. This figure includes people awaiting the setting of directions for removal following refusal of the application, as well as those whose applications were under consideration or subject to appeal. Of this figure, 171 had been in detention less than one month, 87 between one and two months, 171 between two and six months, and 190 had been in detention longer than six months.

  Information on the location of these detained persons, as at 29 March 1995, is given in the table. The second wing of Her Majesty's prison, Rochester is due to become available to house Immigration Act detainees during May 1995.

  Number of people detained on 29 March 1995 who had sought asylum, by location

  Number

  Prisons

  Haslar RC

  79

  Rochester

  54

  Winson Green

  42

  Brixton

  11

  Manchester

  10

  Wandsworth

  9

  Greenock

  8

  Wolds RC

  7

  Bristol

  6

  Brinsford YOI and RC

  5

  Exeter

  4

  Hindley RC

  4

  Armley, Leeds

  3

  Belmarsh

  3

  Risley

  3

  Wormwood Scrubs

  3

  Birmingham

  2

  Norwich

  2

  Strangeways

  2

  Other

  17

  Other places of detention

  Campsfield House

  147

  Harmondsworth

  86

  Gatwick Detention Centre

  35

  Stansted

  13

  Gatwick Beehive

  11

  Queens Building

  8

  Dover Harbour Board

  6

  Newhaven

  4

  Birmingham Detention Suite

  2

  Manchester Airport Detention Suite

  1

  Police Cells

  32

  Total

  619

  Michael Grant
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) under what procedure and by whom the decision was made to transfer Michael Grant to Ford open prison; [17142]
  856
  (2) what factors were taken into account in determining Michael Grant's most recent security classification; [17144]

  (3) what was the classification awarded to Michael Grant following his conviction; and when, and under what procedure, the original classification was lowered. [17143]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 30 March 1995]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 31 March 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the security classification of Michael Grant and the decision to transfer him to Ford open prison.
  Michael Grant was held as a provisional category A prisoner when he was convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court on 24 October 1988 of attempted murder. His case was considered by the Category A Committee at its meeting on 16 March 1989, and on 24 April 1989 the then Director General approved the recommendation that he should be confirmed in category A.
  Michael Grant's security category was next reviewed during the following year. The case was considered by the Category A Committee and the Director General. On 5 June 1990 it was decided that Mr. Grant's security category should be reduced to category B.
  On 28 January 1991 Mr. Grant was transferred from Gartree to Coldingley which was a category B training prison at the time. On 17 December 1992 the head of custody at Coldingley approved Mr. Grant's re-categorisation to category C. Mr. Grant had demonstrated his suitability through completing a number of escorted home visits. He was made a category C prisoner on 1 January 1993.
  Mr. Grant was recommended for re-assessment of his security category at Coldingley prison on 30 May 1993. On 16 June 1993 Mr. Grant was the subject of a re-assessment board for reclassifying him from category C to category D, that is, the lowest security category. This is for prisoners who can reasonably be trusted to serve their sentences in open conditions. The Governor approved the Board's recommendation to reclassify Mr. Grant to category D on 21 June 1993.
  The factors that were taken into consideration by the Board were good behaviour whilst in prison, completion of a successful period of home leave and a successful period of temporary release to attend his father's funeral. He had a sound prison employment record, and probation reports demonstrated that he had the backing of a supportive family. Although his earliest date of release was not until November 1997, the Board considered that he was a prisoner who could be reasonably trusted to serve the rest of his sentence in open conditions.
  Mr. Grant was initially held as a category D prisoner at Coldingley. He was later accepted by Ford, who took into account his history of good behaviour in prison and the fact that he had successfully completed several periods of home leave. He was transferred to Ford on 23 May 1994.
  Following Mr. Grant's recent failure to return from temporary release on time, he later returned voluntarily and will be recategorised to C and is now held in a segregation unit at Ford.

  Murderers
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murderers released on licence since the abolition of the death penalty have been convicted of a subsequent murder. [16395]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 27 March 1995]: Some 11 persons convicted of murder and released on licence since the abolition of the death penalty in 1965 have been subsequently convicted of murder in England and Wales and a further four subsequently convicted of manslaughter.
  857
  In another case, one person committed suicide before being tried for the second homicide offence.

  A further person was subsequently convicted of murder in Scotland and another in Northern Ireland.

  In addition, three persons convicted of manslaughter for which they received a life sentence and released on licence since 1965 have been convicted of a subsequent murder in England and Wales.

  Non-animal Experiments
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of funding was given by his Department for the development of non-animal experiments in each year since 1985. [17062]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 16 December 1994,Official Report, column 828.

  Immigration
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sponsors, required to be interviewed following entry clearance applications, whose papers were referred initially to Leeds-Bradford airport,(a) have been interviewed and (b) are to be interviewed at other ports; and if he will list the numbers of sponsors (i) interviewed and (ii) to be interviewed, at each port since January. [17242]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  The information requested is a follows:

  Port

  Interview completed

  Awaiting an interview

  Hull

  14

  4

  Stockton

  4

  7

  North Shields/Newcastle Airport

  4

  11

  Total

  22

  22

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sponsors are, at the latest date, awaiting interview at Leeds-Bradford airport; and if he will appoint additional immigration staff at Leeds-Bradford airport. [17243]

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  Some 124 sponsors are awaiting interview at Leeds-Bradford airport. As a matter of routine, the immigration service is currently reviewing the work loads and staffing at a number of ports, including Leeds-Bradford.

  Statutory References
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statutory references to hon. Members have been made in legislation introduced by his Department, or his predecessors, since 1965. [17032]

  Mr. Howard
  Statutory references to disqualification for membership of the House of Commons are contained in the House of Commons Disqualification act 1975, the Representation of the People Act 1981, schedule 7 to the 858
  British Nationality Act 1981, the Representation of the People Act 1983 and section 427 of the Insolvency Act 1986.

  An analysis of other legislation introduced by this Department since 1965 for any reference of the type requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost since information is not held centrally.

  Donkey Escape
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the donkey that escaped from Thorn Cross, Warrington young offender institution has been recaptured; how many personnel were involved in the search; what has been the cost of the search; and if he will make a statement. [16246]

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 31 March 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about a donkey that went missing from the grounds of Thorn Cross Young Offender Institution.
  On the morning of 13 March staff discovered that one of two donkeys held in a paddock near Thorn Cross was missing. Four members of staff spent approximately 30 minutes searching in and near the institution for the donkey but failed to find it.
  The local police were informed as a precaution against the stray donkey becoming a hazard on the nearby motorway.
  A short while later the police notified Thorn Cross that the donkey had been put into a field, earlier that morning, about one mile away from the prison by a passing motorist. The donkey was subsequently collected and returned to the paddock.
  This incident involved five prison staff at an approximate cost of £75 plus the services of the local police.
  The two donkeys are cared for by inmates on behalf of Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary and are visited by local handicapped children and other school children.

  Prisoner Places (Cost)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average cost per prisoner place, as measured by the Prison Service's net current expenditure divided by the total number of prison places for each of the past 12 months in England and Wales. [16266]

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

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 31 March 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average cost per prisoner place for each of the past 12 months.
  Cost per place is calculated on an annual basis. Variations in the pattern of expenditure mean that monthly expenditure is not a meaningful indicator.
  This information is published annually on a financial year basis once the Prison Service Audited Appropriation figures are available. The most recently available cost per place figures are those published in the Prison Service Annual Report for 1993–94.

  Blackmail (Definition)
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider amending the definition of blackmail to include the application of pressure to disclose publicly personal sexuality. [15959]

  Mr. Maclean
  I do not think it would be appropriate to amend the offence of blackmail in this way. Removing the requirement for there to be material gain or loss would widen the scope of the offence unacceptably, encompassing types of behaviour unsuitable for regulation by the criminal law.

  Prisons (Attempted Suicides)
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attempted suicides took place in each prison in(a) 1979, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) the last year for which figures are available; and how many of those attempts resulted in death. [16199]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 28 March 19951: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 31 March 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about attempted suicides and attempted suicides which resulted in deaths.
  The information is set out in the table below:

  Year

  1979

  1984–851

  1989–902

  1991–92

  Self-harm with suicidal intent

  300

  402

  398

  805

  I regret that detailed records on self-harm are not available centrally for individual establishments and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  It is difficult to distinguish between self-harm incidents with or without suicidal intent. For this reason, prisons have not been asked to make this classification since 1992 and the figures above should be treated with caution.

  Year

  1979

  1984–851

  1989–902

  1991–92

  Self-inflicted deaths

  29

  37

  43

  43

  1 In 1984 self-harm figures began to be collected in financial years and cannot be split into calender years. Therefore, the 1984–85 figure covers 15 months from 1 January 1984 to 31 March 1985. The last two figures in the table cover the same period.

  2 The figures for 1989–90 and 1991–92 cover the period 1 April to 31 March.

  The attached tables give a breakdown of deaths for each establishment, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House.
  860

  Breakdown of deaths resulting from self-harm by establishment, number of incidents and verdict for the year 1979

  Establisment

  Number of incidents

  Verdict

  Gartree

  1

  Suicide

  Wormwood Scrubs

  2

  Suicide

  Dartmoor

  1

  Suicide

  Wandsworth

  2

  Suicide

  Wandsworth

  1

  Open

  Brixton

  5

  Suicide

  Pentonville

  1

  Misadventure

  Pentonville

  1

  Suicide

  Haverigg

  1

  Misadventure

  Lincoln

  2

  Suicide

  Bristol

  1

  Misadventure

  Brockhill

  1

  Open

  Huntercoombe

  1

  Misadventure

  Liverpool

  2

  Suicide

  Liverpool

  1

  Accidental

  Liverpool

  1

  Misadventure

  Shrewsbury

  1

  Suicide

  Winchester

  1

  Suicide

  Leeds

  1

  Suicide

  Lewes

  1

  Suicide

  Stafford

  1

  Suicide

  Breakdown of deaths resulting from self-harm, by establishment, number of incidents and verdict for the financial year 1984–1985 (1 April to 31 March)

  Establishment

  Number of incidents

  Verdict

  Wormwood Scrubs

  2

  Suicide

  Swansea

  1

  Suicide

  Swansea

  2

  Misadventure

  Pentonville

  3

  Suicide

  Brixton

  5

  Suicide

  Durham

  2

  Suicide

  Norwich

  2

  Suicide

  Bristol

  1

  Misadventure

  Exeter

  3

  Suicide

  Leicester

  2

  Suicide

  Shrewsbury

  1

  Suicide

  Lewes

  1

  Suicide

  Wakefield

  1

  Suicide

  Wandsworth

  1

  Suicide

  Birmingham

  1

  Suicide

  Parkhurst

  2

  Suicide

  Leeds

  1

  Suicide

  Leeds

  1

  Open

  Winchester

  1

  Misadventure

  Preston

  1

  Suicide

  Portsmouth

  1

  Suicide

  Liverpool

  1

  Accidental Death

  Holloway

  1

  Open

  Breakdown of deaths resulting from self-harm, by establishment, number of incidents and verdict for the year 1989–90 (April—31 March)

  Establishment

  Number of incidents

  Verdict

  Littlehey

  1

  Suicide

  Brixton

  4

  Open

  Brixton

  2

  Accidental death

  Brixton

  2

  Suicide

  Lewes

  1

  Suicide

  Dartmoor

  1

  Suicide

  Winchester

  1

  Suicide

  Winchester

  1

  Open

  Risley

  1

  Open

  Manchester

  5

  Suicide

  Stafford

  1

  Suicide

  Exeter

  1

  Suicide

  Lancaster

  1

  Suicide

  861

  Breakdown of deaths resulting from self-harm, by establishment, number of incidents and verdict for the year 1989–90 (1 April—31 March)

  Establishment

  Number of incidents

  Verdict

  Rochester

  2

  Suicide

  Wormwood Scrubs

  1

  Suicide

  Garth

  1

  Suicide

  Cardiff

  1

  Accidental death

  Shepton Mallet

  1

  Suicide

  Bristol

  3

  Suicide

  Canterbury

  1

  Suicide

  Hindley

  2

  Suicide

  Swansea

  1

  Suicide

  Leeds

  1

  Suicide

  Long Lartin

  1

  Suicide

  Liverpool

  1

  Open

  Bedford

  1

  Suicide

  Camphill

  1

  Suicide

  Pentonville

  1

  Misadventure

  Durham

  1

  Suicide

  Glen Parva

  1

  Suicide

  Breakdown of deaths resulting from self-harm by establishment, number of incidents and verdict for the year 1991–92 (1 April–31 March)

  Establishment

  Number of incidents

  Verdict

  Oxford

  1

  Accidental

  Garth

  1

  Suicide

  Leeds

  1

  Open

  Leeds

  1

  Suicide

  Liverpool

  2

  Suicide

  Brixton

  1

  Suicide

  Featherstone

  1

  Suicide

  Wormwood Scrubs

  1

  Open

  Durham

  2

  Suicide

  Pentonville

  2

  Suicide

  Pentonville

  1

  Open

  Parkhurst

  1

  Suicide

  Full Sutton

  1

  Misadventure

  Grendon

  2

  Suicide

  Manchester

  1

  Suicide

  Birmingham

  3

  Suicide

  Preston

  1

  Suicide

  Dorchester

  2

  Open

  Wakefield

  1

  Suicide

  Feltham

  2

  Suicide

  Feltham

  1

  Accidental death

  Feltham

  1

  Open

  Nottingham

  1

  Suicide

  Glen Parva

  2

  Suicide

  Cardiff

  1

  Suicide

  Winchester

  1

  Suicide

  Haverigg

  1

  Open

  Stafford

  1

  Open

  Norwich

  1

  Misadventure

  Norwich

  1

  Suicide

  Stoke Heath

  1

  Suicide

  Long Lartin

  1

  Suicide

  Hull

  1

  Suicide

  Bristol

  1

  Suicide

  Prisons (Offensive Weapons)
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) firearms, (b) knives and (c) other dangerous weapons were found secreted in Her Majesty's prisons in (i) 1979, (ii) 1985, (iii) 1990 and (iv) the last year for which figures are available. [16687]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 28 March 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated
  862
  to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 31 March 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many (a) firearms, (b) knives and (c) other dangerous weapons were found secreted in Her Majesty's prisons in (i) 1979 (ii) 1985 (iii) 1990 and (iv) the last year for which figures are available.
  Finds of knives and other related sharp instruments are not recorded centrally. Weapons such as firearms and CS gas canisters have been reported and recorded centrally since June 1988.
  The information on firearms and CS gas canisters for 1990 and 1994 is contained in the table below:

  Firearms Other (all hand guns)

  Other (all gas canisters)

  1990

  Nil

  Nil

  1994

  51

  2

  1 Four incidents—one without ammunition. A gas canister was also found on 12 January of this year.

TREASURY

  Public Relations
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines his Department has issued to its agencies and other public bodies under its authority in respect of the employment of public relations companies and the procedures to be adopted in relation to requesting tenders for public relations companies. [16274]

  Mr. Nelson
  The Treasury does not have any agencies. Grants in aid are paid from the Treasury vote to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the British-American Parliamentary Group, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Private Finance Panel Executive. The conditions relating to the way in which these grants can be spent are set out in financial memoranda which do not include specific requirements in respect of public relations companies.

  Alcohol Smuggling
  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue he estimates has been lost to Customs and Excise as a result of the smuggling of beers, wines and spirits in the last year. [16770]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  It is difficult to calculate the true extent of smuggling. Assuming a detection rate of one in 20 would suggest, for the 12 months to 31 January 1995, a revenue loss relating to alcohol in the order of £37 million.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a sector breakdown for manufacturing showing for each sector the quarterly peak output since 1985 as a percentage of the figure for the fourth quarter of 1994 together with his forecast for 1995 and 1996. [17117]

  Mr. Nelson
  These figures are to be found in the "Monthly Digest of Statistics", published by the Central
  863
  Statistical Office and available in the House of Commons Library. The Treasury does not publish forecasts of the sectoral breakdown.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Treasury building in Great George street, Whitehall, was last inspected by the relevant local authority for health and safety at work purposes; and whether it currently fully meets all the requirements of the current legislation in that respect. [17308]

  Mr. Nelson
  The Health and Safety Executive is the responsible authority for enforcing current health and safety legislation in the Treasury building in Parliament street. They last inspected the building in 1992. My staff regularly arrange health and safety inspections of the building by competent persons with a view to ensuring that it meets the requirements of the current health and safety legislation.

  Mr. Rupert Pennant-Rea
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he made as to whether the previous deputy governor of the Bank of England should resign; and what was the reason for these representations. [17111]

  Mr. Nelson
  It was Mr. Pennant-Rea's own decision to resign. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor made clear in his letter to Mr. Pennant-Rea, he felt Mr. Pennant-Rea had done an exceptional job as deputy governor and he was sorry that Mr. Pennant-Rea had decided to resign.

  Price Increases
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he applies in deciding on whether an increase in prices is inflationary. [17112]

  Mr. Nelson
  Any price increase adds to the 12-month inflation rate for 12 months. Whether it affects the inflation rate after that depends on whether other prices rise in response.

  Manufacturing Output
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the reasons for the changes in manufacturing output less food between(a) 1990 and 1994 and (b) the peak quarter of 1990 and the fourth quarter of 1994. [17138]

  Mr. Nelson
  There are a large number of reasons for changes in output which it is not possible separately to quantify.

  National Savings
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to publish a remit for sales of debt by the Department for National Savings. [18394]

  Mr. Nelson
  The remit for the Department for National Savings for 1995–96 is as follows:

  Objectives

  The Department for National Savings' declared aim is to support the Government's management of its debt and its policies for personal savings by attracting and retaining
  864
  investments from the retail market efficiently and cost-effectively.

  The Department's primary task is therefore to be an efficient and cost effective source of funding for Her Majesty's Government. It is also charged with maintaining a suitable range of schemes to encourage savings among the population.

  Volume of Funding in 1995–96

  The net contribution of National Savings to funding in 1995–96 is assumed to be around £2.5 billion.

  Responsibilities

  The Treasury is responsible, under the National Loans Act 1968, for setting the terms of National Savings products. DNS will normally take the lead in bringing forward proposals to Treasury Ministers on product terms, including rates.

  Cost comparisons

  The Government intend that National Savings' contribution to funding should offer value for money overall compared with its other sources of funding. Product terms will take account of the need for DNS to retain the capability and market presence to contribute to the Government's funding needs over the medium term.

  Crown Estate Rents
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make representations to the Crown Estate Commissioners to keep rent rises for Crown Estate tenants to reasonable and affordable levels. [16923]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 28 March 1995]: The Government are not involved in the setting of rent levels for Crown Estate tenants. The Crown Estate Commissioners act within the provisions of the Crown Estate Act 1961, and the requirements of housing legislation.

WALES

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning indicative grants for Welsh unitary authorities. [16771]

  Mr. Redwood
  Distribution formulae for calculating unitary authority standard spending assessments are being developed in consultation with the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance. I will announce my provisional local government revenue settlement plans for 1996–97 as soon as possible after the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement.

  NHS Administrative Costs
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 7 March,Official Report, column 153, if he will list the administrative cost of the national health service in Wales for each year since 1979 in current prices.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 7 March 1995,Official Report, column 153.

  Asthma
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales who(a) are under the age of 18 years and (b) in total per health authority are known to suffer from serious asthmatic conditions. [16772]

  Mr. Redwood
  Information on the number of people suffering from diseases is not collected centrally. However, latest estimates of the number of completed consultant episodes for the hospital treatment of asthma to residents of Wales are as follows:

  Health authority area of residence

  Age of patient

  Under 18

  1All ages

  Clwyd

  356

  790

  East Dyfed

  191

  484

  Gwent

  475

  993

  Gwynedd

  213

  486

  Mid Glamorgan

  649

  1,237

  Pembrokeshire

  131

  267

  Powys

  35

  144

  South Glamorgan

  475

  1,000

  West Glamorgan

  164

  408

  1 Includes age not known.

  Countryside Council for Wales
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will make public the recently agreed action plan of the Countryside Council for Wales. [15964]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West, (Mr. Morgan) on 27 March,Official Report, column 424, by my right hon. Friend.

  NHS Dentistry
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 21 March,Official Report, column 192, how many people requested assistance from the relevant family health services authority in registering for NHS dentistry during (a) 1993 and (b) 1994. [17746]

  Mr. Redwood
  From the information supplied by family health services authorities, the numbers of people asking for assistance were as follows:

  1993

  1994

  Clwyd

  1,592

  2,187

  Dyfed

  1,359

  1,168

  Gwent

  991

  1,120

  Gwynedd

  8,365

  7,792

  Mid Glamorgan

  337

  298

  Powys

  977

  1,034

  South Glamorgan

  2,408

  1,250

  West Glamorgan

  130

  160

  This information was supplied for management purposes only and is not statistically validated.

  Bryn Alyn Hall School
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West dated 10 March, what period Of time was requested by the proprietors of Bryn Alyn Hall school, Clwyd, to enable them to remedy those matters referred to in the 866
  OHMCI Wales letter of May 1994 in relation to the school's approval to admit local education authority placements of special educational needs children; [17692]

  (2) pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West of 10 March, if the Department has received the detailed plan of action from the proprietors of Bryn Alyn Hall school to remedy the matters pointed out in the OHMCI Wales letter to the school of May 1994; what further proposals he has made to inspect the school; and if he will make a statement. [17691]

  Mr. Redwood
  In line with the legislation, my Department agreed the request of the proprietors of Bryn Alyn Hall school to allow a period of time to remedy the shortcomings identified by OHMCI. The period of time requested was not specified, but in a letter 5 July 1994 to the school proprietors my Department allowed an extension of time in two phases: receipt of an action plan within four weeks and, subject to receipt of that plan, a period of four months to address the breaches in approval requirements; the action plan was received. It was also made clear in the Department's letter that OHMCI would be asked to carry out a further inspection of the school in November 1994 to assess progress. The Department is currently considering what, if any, action needs to be taken in the light of the information received from OHMCI following that inspection.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to introduce statutory guidelines for the non-departmental public bodies he sponsors to protect board members who take action to supply information to him regarding allegations of mis-spending of public money; and if he will make a statement. [17671]

  Mr. Redwood
  The code of best practice for board members of public bodies, sent to all NDPBs in July last year, already confirms that members of an NDPB board have corporate responsibility for ensuring that the body complies with all relevant statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds. Any individual member who has a particular concern should raise this in the first instance with the chairman or board. An individual member has the right to raise with Ministers any matter of importance relating to his or her duty as a member of the board. Any board member who has evidence of impropriety by others should make sure it is passed on to someone who can deal with it impartially and fairly.

  Accident and Emergency Services
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to reserve the right to make the decision on the proposed transfer of regional accident and emergency services from the Cardiff royal infirmary to the University Hospital of Wales pursuant to section 57 of the June 1991 guidelines entitled "Substantial Changes in the Use of Health Buildings." [17748]

  Mr. Redwood
  I have not reserved the right to decide this matter. The next step is for the community health council to submit a constructive and realistic alternative proposal to the health authorities. The matter will be referred to me for decision only if the CHC and the health authorities are unable to reach agreement on the proposals.
  867
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance he has given to the South Glamorgan health authority and the Cardiff community health council concerning the time allowed for the health council to prepare alternative proposals for the future of regional accident and emergency departments and the financial and other resources required by the health council to prepare such proposals pursuant to paragraph 52 of the June 1991 "Guidelines on Substantial Changes in the Use of Health Buildings". [17747]

  Mr. Redwood
  The recommended period for the provision of alternative proposals is eight weeks from the end of the consultation period arranged by the health authority. Health authorities are expected to provide community health councils with reasonable assistance to help councils develop constructive and realistic alternative proposals for the delivery of effective and efficient health services.

  Committee of the Regions
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what public indication he has given on whether he may be willing to provide financial support to the Welsh Forum. [17493]

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 28 November 1994, column 917.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received asking him to consider giving financial support to Welsh representation on the Committee of the Regions; and if he will list those from whom these representations were received. [17495]

  Mr. Redwood
  Nine; three from the hon. Member, two from Councillor Eurig Wyn of Gwynedd county council and a member of the Committee of the Regions, one from J. H. R. Hughes Esq., central services manager of Rhymney Valley district council, two from Councillor J. R. P. Evans of Rhymney Valley district council and a member of the Committee of the Regions, and one from Councillor T. J. Mahoney of the Assembly of Welsh Counties.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received asking him to consider giving financial support to the Welsh Forum; and if he will list those from whom these representations were received. [17494]

  Mr. Redwood
  Five; two from the hon. Member, one from Councillor Eurig Wyn of Gwynedd county council and a member of the Committee of the Regions, and one from Councillor T. J. Mahoney of the Assembly of Welsh Counties.

  Work Skills
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the skills gap in Wales; and what new steps he is planning to improve the numbers of qualified technicians in Wales and the supply of suitable applicants for apprenticeships on offer leading to technician-level qualifications. [17744]

  Mr. Redwood
  The 1994 Welsh employers survey, conducted by the independent researchers IFF, covered nearly 3,000 employers in Wales. It found that about 5 per cent. of manufacturing establishments in Wales had 868
  vacancies that were hard to fill because of a lack of skilled or qualified applicants. Improving the supply of qualified technicians has long been one of my priorities. In December 1993 I announced that support for new modern apprenticeships in Wales would concentrate in 1994–95 on manufacturing engineering, training people to NVQ levels 3 and 4. Nearly 500 people have started modern apprenticeships in manufacturing engineering in Wales in 1994–95. To support this, during 1994–95 I invested £5 million to update colleges' engineering facilities. This is in addition to the normal capital funding available to colleges through the Further Education Funding Council for Wales.

  A concerted action plan to strengthen the supply of technicians in manufacturing industry is set out on pages 12 and 13 of "People and Prosperity—an Agenda for Action in Wales", which I published on 20 March. I wrote to all the TECs on 8 March to tell them to take action ahead of any shortage of engineer, electronics specialists and construction trades appearing.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had from National Panasonic concerning the adequacy of the supply of suitable applicants for apprenticeship to intermediate levels of skills between the craft and graduate engineer level. [17694]

  Mr. Redwood
  A copy of the press release that Panasonic issued on 16 March was obtained by the Welsh Office, and a Welsh Office official spoke to the company. No direct representations from the company have been received, but at my request South Glamorgan training and enterprise council is meeting the company to discuss the issue and to try to solve the problem.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from business leaders in Wales concerning the adequate supply of qualified(a) craftsmen and women, (b) technicians and (c) graduate engineers; and what consultations he has had with the educational establishments in Wales and with the Wales engineering centre concerning the supply and demand for engineering technicians in electronics and other branches of engineering. [17693]

  Mr. Redwood
  In the course of my visits to companies in Wales, business leaders have commented on these issues but no formal representations have been made recently to my Department. The Welsh Office issued a consultation paper on engineering skills in May 1993. Fifty-four responses were received. In the light of this, I announced in December 1993 a package of measures to improve the supply of engineering skills, linked to modern apprenticeships. I attach high priority to increasing the number of trained engineers and electronics specialists and have instructed the training and enterprise councils to do this.

  Health Promotion
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he completed the ministerial review of the functions of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales; when he proposes to make his conclusions public; and if he will make a statement. [17670]

  Mr. Redwood
  My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Wales made his recommendations to me at the end of January. I agree with his conclusion that there is a need for a national body to help with health promotion work in Wales. I have asked my officials to look at the
  869
  feasibility of alternative framework for this body before deciding on changes that may be required.

  Disability Benefits
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people in Wales were registered for, and in receipt of, mobility allowance in each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement; [16775]

  (2) how many people in Wales are registered for, and in receipt of, attendance allowance in each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement. [16776]

  Mr. Hague
  I have been asked to reply.

  Information is not available in the form requested. In April 1992 disability living allowance replaced and extended the existing provisions of mobility allowance and attendance allowance for people under the age of 65. AA continues for disabled people whose needs arise after the age of 65. The available information is in the table. Figures for 1993 reflect the fact that AA recipients aged under 65 were automatically transferred to DLA.

  Number of people in receipt of attendance allowance in Wales

  Date

  Number of people

  31 March 1992

  70,000

  31 March 1993

  56,000

  31 March 1994

  67,000

  Notes:

  Source: Analytical Services Division based on a 5 per cent. extract.

  1. No DLA payload figures are available for Wales.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales were registered for, and inreceipt of, invalidity benefit in each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement. [16777]

  Mr. Hague
  I have been asked to reply.

  The available information is in the table:

  Number of Invalidity Benefit recipients in Wales

  Number

  April 1992

  1159,000

  April 1993

  1172,000

  April 1994

  2184,000

  February 1995

  2186,000

  Notes:

  1 Based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants, rounded to the nearest thousand, at 4 April 1992 and 3 April 1993.

  2 Based on a 100 per cent. clerical count of cases in the Benefits Agency offices, rounded to the nearest thousand, on the last working day of the month. The figure will include some people who have claimed but are not actually receiving benefit: eg because they are in receipt of a higher overlapping benefit. Figures are provisional and are subject to amendment.

DEFENCE

  Queen's Flight
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the Queen's Flight in(a) 1992–93 and (b)1993–94. [16515]
  870
  Mr. Soames
  The total operating cost of the Queen's Flight borne on class I votes was £7,590 in 1992–93 and £9,105 in 1993–94.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which members of the royal family used the Queen's Flight; and on how many occasions in 1993–94. [16769]

  Mr. Soames
  The number of occasions during the financial year 1993–94 on which the named member of the royal family was the principal passenger on an aircraft of the Queen's Flight is as follows:

  Her Majesty the Queen: 39

  HRH The Duke of Edinburgh: 84

  Her Majesty The Queen Mother:20

  HRH The Prince of Wales: 112

  HRH The Princess of Wales: 56

  HRH The Duke of York: 38

  HRH The Prince Edward: 66

  HRH The Princess Royal: 190

  HRH The Princess Margaret: 51

  HRH The Duke of Gloucester: 33

  HRH The Duchess of Gloucester: 25

  HRH The Duke of Kent: 82

  HRH The Duchess of Kent: 118

  HRH Prince Michael of Kent: 12

  HRH Princess Michael of Kent: 2

  HRH Princess Alexandra: 40

  Indonesia
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the exact dates of visits to Indonesia by officials in his Department since 1 January 1990 and the reasons for those visits in each case. [16514]

  Mr. Freeman
  Details of such visits are not held centrally. Officials have visited Indonesia from time to time since 1 January 1990 to discuss defence and security matters of mutual interest. Details of their discussions are confidential, as is usual.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the exact dates of ministerial visits to Indonesia since 1 January 1990(a) naming the Ministers and (b) the reasons for the visit in each case. [16507]

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence visited Indonesia in May 1993. His predecessor visited in September 1991, and the then Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces visited in March 1990 and May 1991. The purpose of these visits was to discuss defence and security matters of mutual interest. As is usual, details of these discussions are confidential.

  Press Officers
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many press officers there are in his Department currently; and what the figure was in 1979. 16555]

  Mr. Freeman
  The number of service personnel and civilians employed at present in complemented press and public relations and public relations support posts in London and districts and commands at home and overseas is 160. A figure for 1979 is not available.

  Flying Training
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of flying training units which were active in the years(a) 1965 and (b) 1975 and the number which will be active after the "Front Line First" changes have been implemented and the number of training aircraft in use in each unit in each year. [17423]

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested, by individual service, is as follows:

  Royal Navy

  (a) The number of flying training squadrons in 1965 and the number of training aircraft could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  (b) The flying training squadrons (Sqn) in 1975 were as follows:

  705 Sqn. Gazelle1

  750 Sqn. Sea Prince

  706 Sqn. Sea King1

  737 Sqn. Wessex/Sea King1

  849 Sqn. Wasp1

  Phantom training unit—Fixed Wing training squadrons

  Buccaneer training unit—Fixed Wing training squadrons

  Records are no longer available of the numbers of training aircraft in this year.

  (c) Post "Front Line First" squadrons are:

  750 Sqn. Jet Stream: 17 Aircraft

  706/810. Sqn Sea King 5/61: 20 Aircraft

  849 Sqn. Sea King W (AEW)1: 2 Aircraft

  848 Sqn. Sea King 41: 4 Aircraft

  702 Sqn. Lynx 81: 12 Aircraft

  899 Sqn. Sea Harrier FA2: 6 Aircraft

  1Denotes helicopter squadrons.

  1Airborne early warning.

  Army

  (a) and (b) all Army flying training in 1965 and 1975 was undertaken at Middle Wallop. The numbers of training aircraft could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  (c) Following the establishment of the Defence helicopter flying school at RAF Shawbury in 1997, Army flying training will be conducted at both Middle Wallop and RAF Shawbury. The number of training aircraft at both sites has yet to be finalised.

  Royal Air Force
  (a) and (b) From the records available, the following flying training units and aircraft were operated by the RAF in 1965 and 1975:

  1965

  1975

  Flying School

  1 Flying Training School (FTS)

  39

  28

  2 FTS

  42

  —

  3 FTS

  42

  40

  4 FTS

  49

  36

  5 FTS

  21

  —

  6 FTS

  42

  34

  7 FTS

  42

  —

  1 Air Navigation School (ANS)

  24

  —

  2 ANS

  22

  —

  Central Navigation School

  36

  —

  Refresher Sqn.

  38

  —

  Central Flying School (CFS)

  50

  38

  CFS (Helicopter)

  24

  22

  RAF College

  77

  23

  Air Engineer School

  13

  —

  (c) Once the "Font Line First" changes have been implemented, the active RAF flying training units and aircraft numbers will be as follows:
  872

  Aircraft

  Main Operating Bases

  RAF Cranwell

  40

  RAF Linton on Ouse (1 FTS)

  54

  RAF Valley (4 FTS)

  73

  Relief Landing Grounds

  RAF Barkston Heath

  17

  RAF Newton

  1—

  RAF Topcliffe

  19

  1 To be decide

  Airfields
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of Royal Air Force airfields which were active in(a) 1965, (b) 1975 and (c) which will be active after the "Front Line First" changes have been implemented. [17424]

  Mr. Soames
  There were a total of 216 RAF airfields in 1965 and 162 in 1975. It is currently planned that, following the implementation of the "Front Line First" initiatives, there will be 39 active RAF airfields in 1999.

  Air Defence
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of Royal Air Force squadrons engaged in the air defence of the United Kingdom and the number of aircraft in each squadron in(a) 1965, (b) 1975 and (c) 1985. [17425]

  Mr. Soames
  As of 31 March in 1965 and 1985 the squadrons and operational aircraft strengths were as follows:

  1965

  1985

  19 Squadron

  12

  5 Squadron

  12

  23 Squadron

  12

  11 Squadron

  12

  56 Squadron

  14

  right">29 Squadron

  15

  64 Squadron

  1—

  43 Squadron

  17

  74 Squadron

  12

  56 Squadron

  13

  92 Squadron

  12

  74 Squadron

  14

  111 Squadron

  1

  111 Squadron

  16

  Total

  63

  99

  1 No. 64 Squadron had no operational aircraft on strength in the UK. It is understood that they were deployed to the far east.

  Individual figures for squadrons are not available for 1975. The overall strength of operational air defence aircraft on 31 March 1975 was 85 aircraft.

  Air Cadets
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about the air cadets in the last year. [17426]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department has received a number of representations about air cadets during the last year.

  RAF (Overseas Postings)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to ensure that there will be adequate uniformed RAF technical personnel available for overseas posting at very short notice during periods of hostility or threatened hostility against United Kingdom interests. [17427]
  873
  Mr. Soames
  The RAF has recently carried out an initial validation of its core requirement for uniformed regular manpower for operations. Detailed validation work is continuing to establish the service personnel required by rank, branch, trade and skill level to meet contingency operations and to protect United Kingdom interests. The RAF has sufficient technical personnel available for deployment to areas of tension as part of the immediate and rapid reaction forces.

  Arm Exports
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards increasing arms exports to(a) Asia and (b) the Pacific region; and if he will make a statement. [17521]

  Mr. Freeman
  The Defence Export Services Organisation has decided to direct additional resources specifically towards Asia and the Pacific region with the objective of increasing the United Kingdom share of the defence market—within, of course, the restraints of governmental and international policy.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what forms of government support are provided to British arms exports. [17526]

  Mr. Freeman
  Within the Ministry of Defence, support for defence exports is provided, primarily, by the Defence Export Services Organisation which exists to help British manufacturers market and sell their products abroad, complementing the wider range of services offered by the DTI. In addition to the DESO/DTI support, the Export Credits Guarantee Department makes available its range of export credit facilities to support defence sales.

  Fish Research
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what communications he has had with the Industrial Ecology research centre of the university of Liverpool in relation to arsenical traces discovered in fish in the proximity of munitions dumps in the Irish sea; [17530]

  (2) if he will provide additional finance for the Industrial Ecology research centre of the university of Liverpool to undertake further research work on arsenical traces in fish in the vicinity of munition dumps in the Irish sea. [17531]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department has no record of any contact with the Industrial Ecology research centre of the university of Liverpool and we have no plans to fund any of its research activities.

  Sea Dumping (Munitions)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will(a) list the quantity in tonnage and (b) specify the type of (i) chemical weapons and (ii) other munitions dumped in the sea surrounding the British Isles in each of the last 30 years; [17534]

  (2) if he will make a statement about the sea dumping of (a) chemical weapons and (b) other munitions in British waters from 1965 to the present day; [17536]

  (3) if he will make a statement about the sea dumping of (a) chemical weapons and (b) other munitions in international waters from 1965 to the present day; [17535]
  874
  (4) if he will list the names of operations undertaken by his Department regarding the sea dumping of munitions; if he will list the location of dump sites; and if he will specify the type and quantity of munitions dumped. [17652]

  Mr. Soames
  There has been no sea dumping of chemical weapons since 1957. My Department ceased all sea dumping of conventional ammunition and explosive stocks on 1 January 1993 in line with the Oslo and Paris conventions. Complete records do not exist for dumping before this date. Beauforts dyke operated as my Department's main conventional munitions sea dump site between 1920 and 1973, and Hurds Deep, a site 1,000 miles off Land's End, acted as the dump site of redundant or demilitarised munitions from 1973 until sea dumping was terminated. No records are available to cover more distant international waters.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement about the dumping on land of(a) chemical weapons and (b) other munitions from 1965 to the present day; [17532]

  (2) if he will (a) list the quantity in tonnage and (b) specify the type of (i) chemical weapons and (ii) other munitions dumped on land in each of the last 30 years; and if he will specify the locations thereof. [17533]

  Mr. Soames
  It has never been my Department's policy to use land burial as a final disposal route for redundant munitions.

  Deaths (Canada)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces have died on training courses in Canada in each of the last 10 years; what were the dates of the deaths and the name and regiments of those involved; and if he will list details of each incident together with the conclusions of any inquiries carried out into these deaths. [17523]

  Mr. Soames
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with its Irish counterpart concerning Operation Sandcastle. [17651]

  Mr. Soames
  The Irish Government have been given details about Operation Sandcastle. There have been no intergovernmental discussions about this operation nor has any request for a meeting been received from the Irish Government.

  Departmental Land
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value, at today's prices, of land, buildings and equipment sold by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what are the forecast total receipts for the next financial year. [17522]

  Mr. Soames
  Due to the volatile nature of the property market it would not be possible to apply present day values to land and buildings which have been sold by my Department during the past 10 years. The actual receipts achieved for each of the years in question are as follows:
  875

  £ million

  1984–85

  27.7

  1985–86

  60.2

  1986–87

  75.6

  1987–88

  77.8

  1988–89

  149.6

  1989–90

  74.0

  1990–91

  81.6

  1991–92

  102.2

  1992–93

  68.0

  1993–94

  70.7

  1994–95

  162.0

  1 Projected.

  The land buildings forecast receipts for the next financial year are £122 million. Any equipment associated with the sale of land and building is included in the figures.

  Army Light Vehicles
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 9 February,Official Report, column 415, what is the current operational availability of his Department's 846 RB44 Army light vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [17650]

  Mr. Soames
  All 846 vehicles have been taken out of service while a steering under braking defect is investigated. No vehicles will be returned to service until a satisfactory solution of the problem is achieved.

  Vehicle Integrated Communications and Information Distribution System
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost to date of his Department's vehicle integrated communications and information distribution system; what was the original total cost of this project at today's prices; what was the original in-service date; when the project is now due to be in service; and if he will specify the changes made to the project in the last two years. [17524]

  Mr. Freeman
  The total cost to date of the vehicle integrated communications and information distribution system—VICDS—is just over £5 million. The original estimated cost of developing VICDS to production standard at today's prices is £7.5 million; funding for production of VICDS is the responsibility of projects which require VICDS as their communications bearer. The original date for the completion of development was December 1994; VICDS development is now due to be completed in October 1997. VICDS will first enter service with Bowman whose in-service date is April 2000.

  There have been no major changes to the VICDS requirement since the successful field trials in 1992. However, following a detailed project review in 1993, the Department revised the procurement strategy for VICDS to address the risks identified in the original programme and to align the VICDS timetable with that of project Bowman. Contracts for the current risk reduction phase were let with Racal Communications Systems Ltd. and Hunting Engineering Ltd. in August 1994.

  World Defence Market
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what percentage he expects the world defence market to change over the next five years. [17528]
  876
  Mr. Freeman
  My Department forecasts that the world defence market annual average value of new orders for the period 1995 to 1999 will be more than 20 per cent. lower than the annual average value in the previous five years.

  Injuries Claims
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance is normally given to members of the armed forces in pursuing claims against third parties in foreign countries for compensation for injuries incurred in the course of their duties on service abroad. [17672]

  Mr. Soames
  There is no general provision for such assistance to service or civilian employees. Some advisory assistance to members of the armed forces serving abroad may be given by service legal officers where appropriate, but this would not extend to meeting the costs of any legal action that an individual might wish to pursue. My Department does however operate a discretionary ex-gratia criminal injury compensation scheme for members of the armed forces and their dependants who are the victims of crimes of violence while serving overseas.

  Aircraft Accidents
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations have been received from the Canadian Government in regard to the possible toxic or radioactive contamination caused by any accident of RAF aircraft en route from the Pacific to the United Kingdom on a flight path over Canada. [17537]

  Mr. Soames
  I am not aware of any such representatives.

  Recruits, Wales
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits to the armed forces were from Wales in 1993–94; and if he will make a statement. [16780]

  Mr. Soames
  During financial year 1993–94 the number of recruits enlisted into the armed forces from Wales were as follows:

  Royal Navy: 71

  Army: 587

  Royal Air Force: 41

  The figures for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force represent personnel recruited through careers information offices located in Wales, while the Army figure represents the number of recruits who gave their normal place of residence as Wales. No central records are maintained of the country of origin of officers, or airmen aircrew in the Royal Air Force, and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action was taken by Her Majesty's forces to warn off rescue workers at Lockerbie from looking at objects under a red tarpaulin. [16707]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department is not aware of any such action or incident.

  Nuclear Materials (Transport)
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department has given to ending the use of airflights for the transportation of radioactive nuclear material over Britain. [16787]

  Mr. Soames
  Arrangements for the transportation of defence nuclear materials are kept under review, but in some circumstances RAF aircraft will continue to be the most appropriate means of transportation.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what precautions his Department adopts to minimise the risk of an air disaster involving air flights carrying radioactive nuclear material over Britain. [16789]

  Mr. Soames
  There are stringent regulations and procedures governing all aspects of the movement of defence nuclear material by air.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policies his Ministry adopts to minimise the flight of radioactive nuclear waste over urban areas. [16788]

  Mr. Soames
  As matter of long-standing policy, the transportation of all defence nuclear material is kept to a minimum consistent with conduct of business. Route selection criteria for flights include the avoidance of population centres wherever possible.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Electricity
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the progress that is presently being made towards the introduction of full competition in the supply of electricity in 1998. [17966]

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government attach great importance to the successful introduction of full competition in electricity supply in 1998. Consumers in the existing competitive market have already seen the substantial benefits that competition can bring. Customers with a maximum demand above 1 MW have been able to choose their electricity supplier since April 1990, when the electricity industry was vested, and the latest figures released yesterday show that average electricity price paid by manufacturing industry in Great Britain fell by nearly 11 per cent. in real terms between 1989 and 1994. Evidence suggests that some smaller industrial and commercial customers have achieved price reductions of up to 10 to 15 per cent. since the competitive market was further widened to cover all premises above 100 kW last year.

  We want small consumers, including domestic consumers, to be able to share in these benefits after 1998. The broad objective is therefore that the industry should establish practical arrangements for 1998 that will enable customers to change their electricity supplier cheaply and easily, while continuing present levels of customer protection. This is a major undertaking with implications for every household. It requires careful planning if consumers and suppliers are to have confidence in the new market.
  878
  The Director General of Electricity Supply issued a consultation paper in January of this year in which he set out his initial views on the trading and licensing arrangements that will be appropriate for 1998 and beyond, and in which he announced that he was setting up a 1998 co-ordination group for England and Wales under his chairmanship and with the participation of my Department. A separate co-ordination group for Scotland has also been set up. He has now held the first meetings of these groups. I welcome that initiative. The duty to promote competition is written into the Electricity Act 1989 and it is appropriate for the director general to take the lead in ensuring that all parties are working together.

  I understand that the director general will shortly set a timetable for the 1998 process, which identifies each of the key issues to be addressed, those responsible and the deadlines that need to be met. Many decisions need to be taken as soon as possible this year and I encourage the electricity industry to work with Offer to ensure that the opening up of the market to full competition in 1998 takes place smoothly and delivers benefits to consumers.

  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the timing of the sale of shares in the electricity generators was a consideration in determining the date of the publication of "Energy Paper 65". [16952]

  Mr. Eggar
  "Energy Paper 65" was published as soon as it was ready. The timing of the sale of shares in the electricity generators was not a consideration in determining the publication date. The prospectus for the sale of shares in National Power and PowerGen included a reference to the new projections.

  British Coal
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if he will make a statement on the future of British Coal's ex-employee liabilities. [17965]

  Mr. Heseltine
  Acting on behalf of my Department, British Coal and the trustees of the British Coal pension schemes, Touche Ross yesterday invited applications from potential bidders to pre-qualify to tender for the services undertaken by British Coal's Centris division in administering pensions, concessionary fuel entitlements, personal injury claims and other benefits. As well as ensuring value for money, a key objective in the tender process will be to ensure continuity in the high-quality services provided to beneficiaries. The tender will not affect the security of the pension and concessionary fuel entitlements of former British Coal employees and their dependants which the Government are committed to safeguarding.

  Post Office
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the performance targets for the Post Office. [18274]

  Mr. Eggar
  The Government have in recent years set the Post Office performance targets on a three-year basis. The current three year targets expire at the end of the 1994–95 financial year. I therefore need to set the board new targets.

  During the current target regime, the Government carried out a review of the structure and organisation of

  879
  the Post Office. But it is now several years since there was a detailed external study of the operational efficiency of the Post Office. A performance review would clearly be desirable before setting further three-year targets and my Department will be appointing consultants shortly to carry out such a review.

  This review will not, however, be completed until the autumn. In order to ensure that the Post Office has targets applying from the beginning of the financial year, I have agreed with the Post Office board that the existing three year targets should be extended on an exceptional basis to create a four-year set of targets to cover the period 1992–93 to 1995–96.

  I therefore propose to set the board the following targets:

  Annual return on capital employed

  Royal Mail

  Post Office Counters

  Parcelforce

  18 per cent.

  9.5 per cent.

  Break even (before exceptional items)

  Reduction in Unit Costs (financial years 1992–93 to 1995–96)

  Royal Mail

  Post Office Counters

  5.5 per cent.

  6.5 per cent.

  This RUC target compares to a three-year target for Royal Mail and Post Office Counters of 4 per cent. and 3 per cent. respectively for the three years to 1994–95. They take account of progress towards those targets in the three years to date, which both Royal Mail and Post Office Counters are likely to over-achieve in the three years to 1994–95. Parcelforce is not set an RUC target as it is subject to the competitive marketplace.

  I believe these performance targets are realistic and will continue downward pressure on the Post Office's costs in the interest of taxpayers and consumers. They will continue to be matched by stretching quality of service targets for both Royal Mail and Post Office Counters which are set after consultation with the Post Office Users National Council.

  Business Links
  Dr. John Cunningham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the internal audit by his Department on business links; and if he will make a statement. [15182]

  Mr. Heseltine
  It is not the practice to publish internal audit reports.

  Gas Bill
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to seek to amend clause 1 of the Gas Bill to provide, in the event of an agreement being reached at the first conference of the parties for the climate change convention to negotiate a protocol to the treaty establishing targets for carbon dioxide emissions 880
  beyond 2000, for the promotion of energy efficiency to become one of the regulator's duties and objectives. [17001]

  Mr. Eggar
  The Gas Bill will provide new opportunities for companies to market energy efficient services and packages. In a competitive market, this strategy can allow a supplier to gain business from other firms, while saving energy.

  The Bill provides that the Secretary of State and the director shall each have a duty to exercise his functions in the manner he considers best calculated to promote the efficient use of gas conveyed through pipes. No amendment to clause 1 is therefore needed to enable energy efficiency to be one of the regulator's duties.

  Public Relations
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines his Department has issued to its agencies and other public bodies under its authority in respect of the employment of public relations companies and the procedures to be adopted in relation to requesting tenders for public relations companies. [16222]

  Mr. Heseltine
  Guidance on Government use of public relations companies is contained in "A Working Guide for Government Information Officers", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Overseas Licensing
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what role Her Majesty's Government have in the procedure for licensing the manufacture of equipment, with special reference to Land Rover vehicles, in countries other than the United Kingdom; what account it take of those countries' human rights records when making the licensing arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [17141]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 30 March 1995]: It is a matter for manufacturers' commercial judgment as to whether they wish to have their products manufactured overseas under licence. Vehicles and related equipment, specially designed or modified for military use and components therefore specially designed or modified for military use are controlled under schedule 1, part I, group 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, category ML6. Exports of equipment and technology for the production of all goods specified in group 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order are also controlled (category ML18). Any application for licence to export such vehicles, equipment or technology would be considered against internationally agreed criteria governing the control of exports of military equipment. These criteria include consideration of the human rights record of the country to which the goods would be exported. There are military equipment embargoes imposed by the European Union against Burma and China which were put in place as a result of those countries' record on human rights.

  Energy Charter
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about funding for the energy charter secretariat. [17210]
  881
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  In common with many other international organisations, the energy charter treaty secretariat will be funded by contributions from contracting parties according to a scale agreed in the course of negotiation. Depending on the final number of signatories, the United Kingdom contribution is likely to be about 7 per cent. of the budget which is expected to be agreed at the provisional charter conference on 5 and 6 April.

  The United Kingdom approach to funding international organisations is to require them to produce budgets which, while meeting clearly defined objectives, also reflect the need for value for money and recognise the financial constraints on all Governments.

  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representation he has received about proposals to site the energy charter secretariat in London; and if he will make a statement. [17208]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  I have received no representations seeking to locate the energy charter treaty secretariat in London.

  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about his Department's plans to promote the energy charter. [17209]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  In December 1994, when the energy charter treaty was signed, my Departmental issued a press notice and sent a briefing note, "The Energy Charter Treaty: Key Points For British Business", to about 500 companies and organisations with energy interests. I have today placed copies of this publication in the Library of the House. We will be discussing future plans for promoting the Treaty with UK energy organisations after the provisional charter conference on 5 and 6 April.

  British Embassy, Washington
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what reports the British embassy in Washington DC has made on the Democrat party administration's deregulation activities. [17089]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  [holding answer 30 March 1995]: The most recent report on the deregulation activities of the Democrat party administration from the British embassy in Washington DC was made in September 1993. The report concerned the national performance review report "From Red Tape to Results: Creating A Government that Works Better and Costs Less", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Advertising
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list, for 1992–93 and 1993–94, separate figures for the spending by his Department on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising, (d) other promotional materials and activities, (e) the totals in each year of (a) to (d) and (f) the proportion of (e) that was spent on recruitment
  882
  advertising; and what are his latest estimates for the years 1994–95 and 1995–96. [17621]

  Mr. Heseltine
  Expenditure from my Department's centrally managed publicity budgets has been as follows:

  1992–93

  1993–94

  £000 1994–951

  (a) TV Advertising

  0

  0

  0

  (b) Radio Advertising

  1

  2

  2

  (c) Press Advertising

  1,138

  782

  554

  (d) Other Promotional Materials and Activities

  8,784

  7,684

  7,337

  (e) Total

  9,923

  8,468

  7,893

  (f) Proportion of (e) that was Spent on Recruitment Advertising Percentage

  0

  0

  0

  1 Estimated forecast outturn.

  The budgets for 1995–96 have yet to be finalised.

  Recruitment advertising is not funded from the Department's centrally managed publicity budgets.

  Departmental Report
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of producing and circulating the last departmental annual report; what was the circulation list; how many copies were produced; how many copies were sold; and at what price. [16620]

  Mr. Heseltine
  The cost to my Department of producing and circulating DTI's most recent departmental report—"Trade and Industry 1995", Cm 2804—was £43,378.67, including VAT, but not including staff time. In addition, £25,627.30 was the cost to DTI of the copies it purchased for internal and external circulation from Her Majesty's Stationery Office. The costs of printing and publishing, were borne by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, which aims to recover these costs from sales revenue, including revenue from the copies sold to DTI, referred to above.

  The report was circulated to the top 1,000 companies in the United Kingdom, to other companies which seconded staff to the Department during 1994 or which supported such secondments; to trade associations, chambers of commerce, training and enterprise councils, business links and other key opinion formers in the business community. Copies were also sent to members of the Trade and Industry and of the Science and Technology Committees of the House of Commons and to the right hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham).

  Five thousand five hundred copies of Cm 2804 were printed and published. In addition to those required by Parliament and the Department, nearly 1,550 copies were produced to satisfy sales at a price of £16.80 net.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of producing and circulating the Department annual report for each of the last 10 years in real terms. [16621]
  883
  Mr. Heseltine
  Departmental reports were published for the first time in 1991. The external costs to the Department of production and circulation in real terms, including VAT, for the five years of publication were as follows:

  Year

  Cost at 1994–95 prices1£

  1991

  210,560.98

  1992

  28,109.82

  1993

  2,317,300.00

  1994

  28,061.99

  1995

  43,378.67

  Notes:

  1 The figures do not include the costs of copies purchased by the Department from HMSO.

  2 The departmental report was not widely circulated externally by the Department in 1991, 1992 and 1993. In addition, much of the production work was carried out in-house in these years and is not included in the figures. In 1994 and 1995, this work was increasingly contracted out.

  3 The figure for 1993 is an estimate.

  Patent Office, Newport
  Mr. Touhig
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the cost of the consultants employed to examine if the marketing section at the Patent Office in Newport is to be contracted out. [17413]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The Patent Office will be looking at the feasibility of contracting out its marketing activities and consultancy advice may be sought. However, so far no consultants have been appointed.

  Pergau Dam
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent changes have taken place in the cost of the Pergau dam; and what is now the total cost of the dam. [17081]

  Mr. Heseltine
  Whilst I am aware of press reports about possible additional costs arising in connection with the Pergau dam project, these would be matters of a commercial nature for discussions between the contracting parties. Unless made public by those parties, any revision of costs would be subject to normal considerations of commercial confidentiality.